


All That Remains

by TheBestTeacup



Category: The 100
Genre: DO NOT READ IF EASILY TRIGGERED, Depictions of Domestic Abuse, F/M, Family Feels, Hurt/Comfort, Jake is not a likeable character in this story, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-25
Updated: 2016-01-25
Packaged: 2018-05-16 05:17:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 43,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5815648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBestTeacup/pseuds/TheBestTeacup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Marcus, a recently injured detective, takes on the job as disciplinary officer at a local private school, he is not prepared to fall head over heels in love with the headmistress, Abby Atkinson. As they grow closer to one another he learns she has some dark secrets from her past. Can they overcome those secrets, along with rising animosity from hateful chemistry teacher Diana Sydney?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Mount Weather Prep was a behemoth structure on the edge of Washington, DC and was home to one of the best private educations the country had to offer. The students who attended the school almost always were accepted to Ivy League colleges and went on to have outstanding careers in science, political, or medical fields. The school was a large four story building made of red brick, with ivy covering most of the front and one of the sides. A huge garden and rolling fields stretched out to the right of the school, while to the left sat a pristine set of sports fields. If someone walked out of the front doors, across the massive drive where students were dropped off each morning and down the hill a ways, they would come across a smaller replica of the school where its somewhat infamous headmistress resided.

As Marcus Kane stood on the drive taking in the massive structure and its surroundings, he sighed heavily and ignored the pain in his leg as he climbed the steps towards the main entrance of the school. This was not what he expected out of his life, but he was there now and was just going to have to embrace it. He had no other choice given the circumstances.

The foyer of the school was just as impressive as the exterior, if not more so. A large staircase swooped up from the marble floors, and branched off in the direction of two separate wings that were both closed off by heavy doors. Marcus took a moment to admire the rich mahogany of the stair well, and the pillars dotting the entrance before he slowly made his way to the door on his left that read “˜headmasters suite.’ With one more resigned sigh he made to knock when it suddenly flew open, knocking him back in surprise.

As he regained his balance, Marcus glanced up to spot a petite woman standing before him, her eyes rounded in shock.

“I am so sorry,” her voice was soft as she reached out and touched his arm, “I didn’t realize anyone was out here.”

Marcus smiled reassuringly, waving off her concern, “No problem, I was actually here to see the headmistress. Is she in?”

“Oh, you must be Detective Kane! You are early, come in come in.”

Marcus followed her, expecting to find his new boss seated in the office beyond, but instead was surprised to see the woman escorting him take the seat at the large desk in the center of the room. At his look of confusion she laughed and stood back up, “Forgive me, I am a little out of sorts today,” she extended her hand, “I’m Abigail Atkinson, but you can call me Abby. All the faculty and staff do.”

Taking her hand in surprise, Marcus could only gawk at her. This was not what he expected at all.

When he had first heard of the job opening at Mount Weather, he did some research and found a lot of stories about the eccentric headmistress of the school. No one was really sure where she came from, only that she took over the failing prep school ten years prior, and turned it into one of the most successful in the country. Under her guidance it went from an institution with barely three hundred students, to one with close to 1,000; and a waiting list five years long on top of that.

In reviews most parents admired the headmistress’ sternness, and her refusal to accept anything but the best from the students who attended her school. She was known to be quite ruthless, ejecting students who did not live up to their full potential, and that quality earned her respect from the parents of kids who went on to colleges like Harvard; and loathing from those who were booted out. There was no picture to be found of the woman, strange in this age of advanced technology, so the more Marcus read, the more he pictured someone in her late sixties with a stern uncracking facade.

He was not expecting a petite woman no older than he was, with flowing reddish brown hair, and large jovial brown eyes. She wasn’t even wearing a suit as he was expecting, but a pair of tight jeans and a pink top that both flowed from her lithe frame and hugged it in all the right places. Gulping he tried not to stare at her too hard as he took the seat across from her desk.

“Let me first start off by saying Welcome to Mount Weather,” she said her voice full of cheery kindness as she sat in her own chair, “we are so glad you are able to join our team. In truth when I posted the listing, I was expecting a lower level officer. The fact that we are getting an actual detective is quite a blessing.”

Marcus rubbed his neck and looked down at his right leg, a self-deprecating smile taking over his face, “Yes, well I am not a detective anymore. That ended a few months ago.”

“Right of course, your leg. Gunshot wounds can be tricky, and from what I can tell you suffered some nerve damage, and possibly irreparable muscle damage which happens more often th-” freezing mid-sentence Abby shook her head and turned her chair to look for something on the shelf behind her. Marcus took the moment to study her tense shoulders, confusion washing over him.

When he had interviewed for the job with the school’s hiring officer he had only disclosed that a gunshot wound had forced him out of his job as a Washington D.C. detective. He didn’t make any mention of the infection he came down with after his surgery that cost him full mobility, and left him with a jagged scar on most of his right thigh. Those were things he did not like discussing, so how did this woman seem to know exactly what had happened to him? Before he could dwell on it further she shot back around, fully composed once more and thrust a folder across the desk.

“Here is our employee manual, and anything else you need to know about working here. Jackson informed me that you will be making use of the faculty apartments. They are located down the hill behind my residence. They are fully furnished, but if you prefer your own things just let maintenance know and they will move the preexisting furniture for you. The key to your unit is in the packet.”

Marcus nodded his thanks as he absently flipped through the papers she had handed him, thankful to have something to stare at other than his new boss’ captivating features.

“Now,” Abby continued, “we are very fortunate that we do not have a lot of severe disciplinary issues, so your main job will be to distribute detentions when they are needed, and overseeing them. You will also be our armed guard in case we ever have any unsavory intruders, but hopefully that will never happen.”

“So basically just keep the students safe, and out of trouble,” Marcus stated, reading over the list of appropriate punishments, “seems easy enough.”

They sat talking for a few more minutes about various job requirements, before Abby gave him a tour of the school. The two wings divided the first through fifth graders from those in middle and high school, while a preschool and kindergarten were in a smaller building located behind the main one. All was pristine, but Abby told him that as soon as the students returned it would become a lot less so. “They are all geniuses but they are as sloppy as any other kid.”

As they finished up the tour, and Marcus assured her he would be all moved into his apartment that evening, Abby escorted him to the main door beaming up at him. “I really do think you will be an excellent fit here Marcus,” she was saying as she gathered her hair back off her head, working it into a ponytail, “Please feel free to come to me if you have any questions or concerns. I maintain a strict open door policy.”

Marcus nodded his thanks and was about to turn to leave when he noticed the sleeve of her shirt had slid down her arm as she wrestled with her hair. It would’ve been a harmless incident if not for the line of circular scars he saw climbing down the exposed skin of her inner arm and disappearing under the fabric covering the upper half of the limb. He had seen similar scars before in his line of work and knowing what probably caused them made his brain go slightly fuzzy as his stomach clenched in disgust.

He didn’t even realize how openly he was staring at the marks until suddenly Abby’s arms were quickly pulled down, and a subconscious pull made sure her sleeve covered her to her wrist. Snapping his eyes to hers Marcus inwardly cursed at the look of embarrassment that chased all levity from her features, but before he could say anything, or excuse his rudeness, the look was gone and replaced with a friendly-but tense- smile.

“I am sure you have a lot to get situated before school starts Marcus,” she said, her voice almost hollow, “we only have about 36 hours before the students fill these halls again.”

Marcus nodded, and went to step out the door when he stopped and turned back towards her quickly retreating form. He had to say something, he couldn’t leave things so awkward between him and his new boss after only an hour of being acquainted with her, “Abby I-”

“I really must finish up some things before the end of the day,” she called over her shoulder, effectively cutting him off, “I will see you on Monday.”

Sighing, Marcus nodded to himself, before walking to his car that was parked near the service road leading to his new residence. It didn't take him long to find the apartments which sat about a hundred yards behind Abby’s home, and even less time to carry his sparse belongings inside. He spent the rest of the afternoon setting up his living quarters to his specifications, while trying to forget about the awkward moment that had occurred. It was better not to dwell on it than allow it to fester and destroy any healthy relationship he hoped to have with his new employer.

With that mindset in place, he fully pushed the incident to the back of his memory, and began to prepare for his first day of work.


	2. Chapter 2

“There goes Abby and her band of misfit toys.”

Looking up from the few disciplinary write ups he had received in his mailbox that afternoon, Marcus furrowed his brow at the blonde woman who was standing next to his table in the faculty lounge. He had spoken with her earlier that week about a student who was mouthing off to her during class, but for the life of him he couldn’t recall her name. He had met so many teachers in the last three days since school had begun that it was hard to keep up. Even now in a room filled with several of the high school faculty, he only recognized Miller and Sinclair and that was because they were the only other two faculty that lived on campus.

Seeing his confusion at her statement the blonde gestured out the window beside him, where Abby was walking towards her residence with four girls hovering around her. He recognized one of them, Octavia Blake, who he had already had to tell repeatedly not to slide down the bannister of the main stairway. The spritely fifteen-year-old was currently doing backflips and cartwheels down the hill, barely stopping between each movement. Behind Octavia two girls walked arm in arm, their heads bent close together in what appeared to be a very intense conversation; while next to Abby a fourth girl, a few years older than the rest was bouncing around and talking to the headmistress excitedly.

From his observations there didn’t seem to be any reason why the woman beside him should be looking so condescendingly on the group, though he supposed it was a little odd that four students were headed towards the house in which Abby lived.

Before he could ask what exactly the problem was, the woman sighed dramatically and turned to return to the couch she had been grading homework at, “I just don’t understand why she allows such riff raff into an institution such as this.”

“They aren’t riff raff Diana," Miller muttered, barely looking up from the lesson plans he was currently revising, his tone bored as if they had had this conversation a million times, “they are just as smart and as capable as anyone else in this school.”

A man- Marcus believed his last name was Shumway- sitting beside Diana snickered, “Yeah they are smart, but what is the point of allowing them into our program when they will never be able to afford a school such as Harvard or Yale?”

“Because,” Miller replied, “they might just be smart enough to earn a free ride to those schools, and they would never be able to earn that chance in their previous circumstances.”

“Yes well, if I were headmaster I would never allow it. It lowers the standards of Mount Weather.”

“Well thank goodness Abby was put in charge, and not you Diana. The last thing we need is someone who only thinks about dollar signs and arbitrary social norms.”

Marcus turned to the guidance counselor/hiring rep of Mount Weather, Jackson, who had just walked into the room and took a seat at a table near his. The man was generally so soft spoken, that the hard bite in his statement was shocking to say the least. Catching his eye Jackson shrugged a bit shyly and opened whatever file he had brought with him to review.

Turning to his table partner, Sinclair, who had been ignoring the exchange, he tilted his head to the group outside, “What is the deal there?”

“Oh yes,” Diana cooed before Sinclair could respond, “we really should tell you about them Marcus dear, they will be the ones you will have the most trouble with.”

Sinclair glared at the woman before looking at Marcus with a shake of his head, “No you won’t, Octavia can be a bit wild, but they are all good kids. Not a mean bone in their bodies. Some people,” he shot another glare in Diana and Shumway’s direction, “just think their situations make them delinquents.”

Before anyone could interject any further Sinclair turned back to the window and pointed to the girl who was still performing flips, “That one is Octavia. Her mom walked out on her when she was 11, and left her in the care of her 18 year old brother. She was always bored in school and that caused some problems, so she was evaluated and turns out she has an IQ higher than most people in this room. Her brother brought her here shortly after and begged Abby for a scholarship to the school. Abby allowed it.”

“Yeah and then the brother up and abandoned the girl too, and she has somehow become the school’s responsibility,” Shumway sneered.

“Shut up Don,” Miller snapped before turning to Marcus, “Bellamy was working three jobs as a janitor to make ends meets, and could barely feed and clothe either himself or his sister. Abby suggested the girl live here with her, while he got on his feet. It was hard for him, but he knew it was the best for Octavia, and he visits her every weekend so it all works out.”

Marcus nodded and returned his focus to the subjects at hand as Sinclair pointed to the two girls who were still wrapped up in their discussion, “That serious looking brunette is Lexa Sanders. Her mom died in childbirth apparently, and her dad was some bigwig in DC before he got arrested for money laundering. She has been a student here since she was in preschool, so when it looked as if she was about to be forced into foster care with nothing but the clothes on her back, Abby stepped in and became her guardian as well.”

“Just another charity case.”

Everyone ignored Diana as Marcus gestured to the girl attached to Lexa, “And the blonde?”

“Oh, that’s Clarke,” Jackson spoke up, “she is Abby’s biological daughter.”

Marcus schooled his features to hide his surprise, not really knowing why it mattered that Abby had a kid, before nonchalantly stating, “So she isn’t apart of Diana’s description of riff raff.”

“Oh I don’t know about that,” the woman drawled, “she isn’t really up to par with the rest of our students.”

“What Diana means,” Jackson snapped, “is that Clarke, while still extremely smart, has talents that lean more towards an artistic nature.”

“Just what Ivy Leagues look for, artists.”

Miller glared at Shumway slamming his lesson plans closed, “Just because most of our students end up in those colleges Don does not mean they all have to. Our criterion is not “ ‘who best suites Harvard and Yale’ it is “who is smart enough to handle our program, and who shows extreme promise.’ Clarke fits both those standards.”

Feeling the tension in the room escalating, Marcus waved his hand at the girl who had held Abby’s attention the whole time they had been talking, “And that one? Is she another one of Abby’s wards?”

Sinclair sighed sadly and shook his head, “No, Raven isn’t a student here. She is employed as Abby’s assistant, but she’s also the go to IT guru, and the person we turn to when there are any electrical or mechanical issues. She is a genius like none I have ever seen, with an eidetic memory to boot; and also the main justification as to why Abby gets away with giving underprivileged kids free rides to the school.”

At Marcus’ confused look the man continued, “Raven showed up here two years ago, shortly after she turned 18 and begged for a job. She didn’t even want money, she just wanted to live in an apartment, work, and be allowed to sit in on some of the classes. Abby spent hours talking with her and discovered the girl had not entered a classroom since she was in fourth grade. Her mom was a serious meth head, and hid her daughter away to keep the girl from accidentally telling a teacher what was cooking in her house. Still, Raven found ways to educate herself on just about everything she set out to learn, and when she was old enough to escape her mom she came to Mount Weather hoping to further her knowledge. Abby gave her a job, allows her to live in her home, and even helped her get a GED. Raven goes to a community college for now, and wants to go to Maryland when she finishes her AA, but it is a damn shame. That girl could’ve gone to MIT if given the opportunity.”

“So Abby makes sure other students like her don’t miss that chance,” Marcus summarized, letting his eyes return to the headmistress as she disappeared into her house. He knew from the very little he found on the woman that she was criticized by quite a few people in the education community (including some of her own staff it seemed) for her eccentric and unorthodox methods, but if this was what they were referring to he thought they were all crazy.

“We have several students like them, but most have good homes: Jasper Jordan, Monty Green, and Anya Lewis for example. Then we have boys like Anthony Lincoln and John Murphy who would probably be better off here, but it would be too questionable to have two teenage boys living with a single woman and a bunch of girls, so they make do.”

Marcus nodded as he listened to Jackson talk on and on about the different attributes of the scholarship students, his heart warming as he thought about how Abby made this school into an accepting place rather than another institution that was exclusive to the select few.

He was snapped from his reverie when Jackson summed up with a simple, “I think if she could Abby would make this school only available to those who really needed it.”

“Yes, yes,” Diana said with an exaggerated yawn, “our dear headmistress does have a soft spot for broken things.”

Everyone but Shumway, who laughed, ignored the woman and returned to their work, while Marcus studied the house across the lawn again.

_Broken things._

He couldn’t help but remember the scars he had seen a few days prior and briefly wondered if there was a connection. Just as quickly as the thought appeared he shook it away reminding himself it was none of his business.


	3. Chapter 3

In the two months since Marcus came to Mount Weather he had slowly become fascinated with everything that was Abby Atkinson. He spent most of his days wandering the halls of the school, making sure everyone was on their best behaviors and intervening to nip any possible problems in the bud. With all the observing he did throughout the course of a day he had plenty of opportunities to watch the headmistress in action, and he had yet to find a reason to have anything but the highest respect for her.

It seemed that in Abby’s world there was no such thing as being unavailable. Whenever he spotted her she was surrounded by students, who went to her about everything from the upcoming high school dance to how to go about college essays. More than once he had seen her drop whatever she was doing to be there for whoever needed her, including one incident when she stepped away from a board meeting to comfort an overwhelmed senior. He asked Miller about how she got away with that and he just shrugged, “The board adores her, and even if they didn’t she wouldn’t care. The students come first.”

From what Marcus saw it wasn’t just the board that adored her, but almost everyone who crossed her path. Parents always beamed at her when they spotted her during drop offs, the support staff jumped through hoops for her, and most of the teachers had nothing but admirable things to say about her. The only people he knew who didn’t love the woman were Diana Sydney and her small group of followers. Still, even with their disdain, if Abby was in the room they kept quiet. They might not have adored her like everyone else, but Marcus did sense that they feared her.

At first he wondered how she managed to strike fear into the likes of such people when she seemed almost too soft for her position, but 6 weeks into the school year he realized how quickly she could become the complete opposite of her usually warm self. It started when reports came in from multiple kids that one of the Biology teachers, Ridley, was bullying the scholarship students. Abby made sure that students could voice their concerns just as much as any parent or teacher, so each afternoon it was Marcus’ job to empty a comment box that was situated in the school’s dining room and bring any troubling complaints to his boss’ attention.

For the most part the comments were silly things like “I hate Ms. Andrew’s haircut,” or “Why can’t we have more tater tots, and less carrots?” Marcus ignored those, but he could not ignore the ones about Ridley.

“Mr. Ridley told Anya that she was a waste of space.”

“Mr. Ridley likes to joke that he will be much harsher when grading Lincoln and Murray’s papers, because he thinks they get too much special treatment as is. It makes me really uncomfortable.”

“Raven came in to fix the computer today, and Mr. Ridley asked her if from her experience Breaking Bad was accurate. It looked like she wanted to punch him. I wish that she had.”

By the end of the sixth week, Marcus had a stack of 20 complaints about the teacher and he had no choice but to bring them up to Abby.

He found her in her office that Friday afternoon seated on the floor with her back against a couch in the sitting area. She made quite the sight sitting there in her pencil skirt and long sleeve button down, her hair pulled in a messy bun while she chewed on a pin and looked over some potential student's files. Beside her lay Clarke, her head resting on her mom’s leg as she focused on the sketch book propped up on her knees. Octavia and Lexa were sprawled in the arm chairs across from the couch, both completely absorbed in whatever homework they had been assigned that day.

Pausing in the doorway Marcus took in the intimate scene and wondered if he should let the issue wait until the following Monday morning. Before he could make up his mind though, a hand shoved him gently in the back and he stumbled forward a bit as Raven strolled past him and hopped the back of the couch to sit near Abby’s head.

“Hey Abs, me thinks Kane would like to meet with you.”

“Hm?” Abby looked up from her work and straightened when she spotted him hovering in the doorway, “Oh Marcus, did you need something?”

“Either that, or he just enjoys staring at people all creepy like from doorways," Raven snarked, shooting him a mischievous wink over her shoulder.

At her words, the other three girls in the room looked up from their tasks all eyeing him with curiosity and making him blush as he stepped closer, “Uh, yeah, I just cleaned out the complaint box, and well the past few weeks there have been comments made about one teacher in particular that I thought you should know about.”

 He handed her the stack of papers he had brought with him, and stood bouncing on his toes as she read through them, the feel of the girls continued glances making him unreasonably nervous.

After a few moments Abby looked up from the stack her face flashing with anger, “Octavia, Mr. Ridley is one of your teachers correct?” Her softly voiced question was answered with a slight nod as the girl’s attention was pulled from Marcus to the woman seated in front of her.

“Has he done anything you feel you need to report?”

The girl shifted uncomfortably, “Well yeah, he didn’t accept my dissection exemption form because he said I had enough special privileges.”

“There was a frog dissection last week,” Abby said more to herself than to anyone in the room, before she narrowed her eyes back on the girl, “is that why you were so withdrawn last Wednesday?”

Octavia nodded and fiddled with the book in her hands, “Yeah, I know it shouldn’t have bothered me so much, it was just a frog but-”

“If it bothers you, it bothers you,” Clarke interjected “you shouldn’t have been forced to do it.”

Abby nodded, “Yes, exactly. Why didn’t you tell me he was making you?”

“I didn’t want to bother you, you already do so much and it seemed like such a little thing to worry about.”

Abby sighed and turned her focus to Raven, handing her the complaint regarding her run in with Ridley, “And is that your excuse too?”

Looking over the paper that had just been thrust towards her, Raven sighed, “I am not a student Abby, and I can handle him. Just see if he gets any help the next time he downloads a virus on his home computer.”

“Student or not, you are still a human Raven, and I will not tolerate anyone in this school being treated like this.”

Standing Abby pushed a stray hair behind her ear and straightened her skirt while shoving her feet back into a set of dangerous looking high heels. Marcus eyed her legs for a second, mesmerized by how the shoes made them look, before he noticed Clarke watching him intensely from the floor and quickly refocused his gaze on a shelf over Abby’s shoulder.

“Girls, why don’t you all head on down to the house while I go deal with this? I will join you in an hour or so.”

All the girls started gathering their things obediently, as Abby moved towards a mirror and pulled her hair down, arranging it so it flowed neatly around her shoulders.

“Can we order pizza?” Lexa asked as she stepped behind Abby and fixed a piece of hair that was being stubborn.

“Of course, but I would love to eat with you if you can wait a bit?”

The girls agreed and scurried out, and Abby turned to Marcus gesturing to her clothes and hair, “How do I look? Do I have the “‘big bad boss’ feel?”

He nodded amused, “I am terrified. I would hate to face anyone who was wearing heels like that.”

She chuckled darkly, grabbing the complaints as she started towards the door with an indication he should follow, “I really am not going to enjoy this” she mumbled as she made her way across the foyer and climbed the staircase towards the high school wing. Marcus fell a little behind-cursing the staircase and aching leg for slowing him down- but caught up just as she reached the teachers’ lounge.

Taking a deep breath, Abby burst into the room and strolled right up to Ridley where he was sitting at a table with Diana and Shumway, throwing the papers down in front of him.

The man looked at them for a moment, and then met her eyes, a flash of defiance in them, “Is there a problem Abby?”

“Oh I’d say,” she answered with a cold anger that made Marcus shiver, “I have 20 complaints saying you are bullying students and staff members alike.”

Ridley looked back at the papers and shrugged, “They are probably all from those scholarship kids, a bunch of liars if you ask me.”

Leaning forward to place her hands on the table, Abby met his eye, “You and I both know that is not the case. You have one hour to vacate this campus and if I see you within fifty yards of the building again, I will call the cops on you for trespassing. We will mail you your final check.”

“Now hold on,” the man stuttered looking around for support, only to have everyone including his ‘buddies’ at the table look away, “isn’t that a bit harsh? It was all in light fun.”

“Light fun?” Abby stared incredulously at the man, as she picked up the pages again, “This one here says you told John Murphy that his dying mother would be ashamed of him. Then there is this one that says you asked Jasper and Monty if they were queers. Not to mention I just had one of my staff members confirm you degraded her in front of a class full of students. None of this seems like light fun to me.”

“Abby come on,” Ridley whined, “you can’t just fire me I have worked here for years! At least give me a second chance.”

Everyone was silent for a moment as their boss looked the man over, her eyes scrutinizing him, and if Marcus didn’t know better he would say she was reading his mind. Then without saying a word she turned and walked to the announcement board on the other side of the room, ripped a paper off it, and walked back to hand it to Ridley. “Read that.”

Gulping the man looked at the paper, “We here at Mount Weather have one goal above any other: to provide a safe and nurturing environment for our students. We will not foster any competition between the individuals who attend our school for they are all unique and one cannot be measured against another. We will not allow any student to feel as if they are inferior. Bullying will not be tolerated, for one should never put him or herself above someone they feel to be weaker than they are. Students who are caught bullying will be punished accordingly. If faculty are cruel to any student they will be terminated on the spot.”

Ridley set the paper down, and Marcus knew from the look on his face that he realized he didn’t stand a chance.

Abby sighed and turned to eye all the teachers in the room one by one, making sure all their attention was on her, “Each and every one of you signed that statement and I have a copy of it in your files. Our parents are given that assurance when their kids first enroll here. It is the main point behind our whole program is it not?”

A few nods and mumbles of assent filled the silence before Abby turned and faced Ridley,   
“That statement was your chance. You have one hour. Kane, make sure he doesn’t cause trouble. I need to go figure out how to reassign his students to the other bio teachers.”

Marcus watched her go slightly in awe of the poise that seemed to radiate off of her as she strolled back out into the hall leaving everyone watching quietly in her wake.

When the faculty door slammed shut Diana was of course the first to speak, “Well that was interesting. I always wondered if she was serious about that. Leave it to you Cuyler to find out for us.”

Ridley glared at her and shoved off from the table making Marcus wonder if he was going to have to stop a physical altercation but the man just stormed towards the door, and left him to follow.

~~~

Thirty minutes later Marcus watched as Ridley peeled down the drive and out of sight before heading back to Abby’s office. The door was closed, making him wonder if she had already returned to her home but he knocked just to be safe and was quickly rewarded with a soft and tired sounding “come in.”

Pushing the door open, he stuck his head in to the spacious room and was surprised to see the lights had been dimmed considerably causing the usually warm and inviting place to seem like anything but. His eyes scanned the room for Abby, and he almost thought he imagined her voice a moment before until he caught sight of her lying sprawled on the couch a hand over her eyes.

“You okay?”

She turned her head to stare at him as if shocked to see him there before letting out a bitter laugh and shaking her head, “No, I’m not. I know what just happened was necessary for so many reasons, but to have to...I just hate being a bad guy.”

Marcus walked further into the room and sat in the armchair across from the couch, hoping she didn’t think he was being presumptuous. When she didn’t seem bothered by his presence he leaned forward with his arms resting on his knees and flashed her a soft smile, “I don’t think you’re a bad guy Abby. I have known a lot of bad people, and you definitely do not fit the bill. You have a set of stern guidelines that you expect to be adhered to, and if you let one person get away with breaking those rules then everyone will try to break them. What you did was brave.”

Sitting up she eyed him with a mix of wariness and something he couldn’t quite pinpoint but that made his stomach churn in a sort of pleasant way. Then suddenly, as if catching herself doing something wrong, she jumped up and quickly went about grabbing her things, “I really must get to the girls, I am sure they are dying to eat right about now.”

Stunned by her sudden shift Marcus just watched as she gathered her bag and keys, snapping out of his shock when he realized she was waiting for him to leave so she could lock the office. “Right,” Marcus mumbled, “well, I will have a report about this afternoon written up and on your desk Monday morning.”

“That would be great thank you.”

And just like that the woman was out the door, leaving him behind to wait for the last of the faculty to leave so he could shut the building down.


	4. Chapter 4

“You know, that Kane guy is kind of cute.”

Looking up from her pizza, Abby startled a little to see all four of “her” girls’ eyes focused on her. Raven, Lexa, and Octavia all had similar looks of mischievous giddiness, while Clarke eyed her with a bit of hopeful trepidation. She knew that all of them were hoping for one specific answer, and as she chewed the food in her mouth and studied them she tried to figure out a clean way out of this conversation.

Deciding humor was the best way out of the proverbial mind field she swallowed slowly and eyed Raven, who had broached the subject, with an arched eyebrow, “He is a little old for you, don’t you think?”

Groaning Octavia cut in before Raven could respond, “Come on Abby! You know that isn’t what she meant!”

Abby raised her wine glass and took a sip as she continued to look at the girls in mock confusion. They all squirmed slightly under her stare before Clarke huffed in defeat, “Forget it guys, she isn’t going to talk potential love interests with us.”

Lexa made a show of rolling her eyes as she picked apart her pizza crust, “We are only trying to push her in the right direction, she is possibly missing out on a prime opportunity.”

“Yeah,” Octavia sighed, and Abby had to wonder if they practiced this little show while waiting for her to come home, “it isn’t very often she has potential suitors, what with her being holed away in the school all the time.”

“You guys can stop whatever it is you are trying to do,” Abby interjected trying to keep her laugh out of her voice, as she made her “‘serious headmistress’ face, “I do admit Kane does have a visually appealing aspect to him, but I highly doubt he is anymore romantically interested in me than I am in him.”

“Oh I don’t know about that,” Raven said with her trade mark smirk, “I have seen how he looks at you. It is like he can’t even believe you’re real.”

Blanching Abby choked on the wine she had just taken another sip of, and grabbed for a napkin as she tried to make it look like her blunder was caused by a laugh, and not by the shock that coursed through her system at Raven’s words. Looking back up at her companions she found that she was semi-successful, as three of the girls looked on with her concern, but one-her ever observant Clarke- studied her with a suspicious tilt of her head.

Praying that Clarke would just let things drop, she quickly dabbed her mouth and reached for another piece of pizza, “Enough about Kane, let’s talk about something that is actually interesting, like who you all will be attending the formal with?”

As the three teens scrambled to tell her who had asked them, and started discussing what they would wear; while Raven made mention of Wick, a fifth grade teacher, that had asked her to be his date, Abby praised herself on her success of getting the attention off of her.

~~~

Abby’s relief was short lived however, for later that night as she lay propped up looking over the minutes from the last board meeting she caught movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to spot Clarke hovering in her doorway. Recognizing the hesitant gesture for what it was, Abby quickly set aside her papers as she drew back a corner of her bedspread. With a wide smile, Clarke darted across the room and dove into the bed burrowing against her mother until her head was comfortably resting over her heart.

“Hey mom.”

Abby smiled and kissed her daughter’s crown as a hand absent-mindedly stroked her hair, “Couldn’t sleep?”

“Not really, my brain doesn’t seem to want to shut down.”

“Mm, is there anything in particular that is bothering you?”

Clarke lay there still and silent for a moment before turning slightly and taking her mom’s right arm, pulling it out so she could study it. As the teenager began to lightly draw a line connecting the scars along the inner flesh, Abby closed her eyes shakily as the action brought back images from years ago.

_You hurt mama...sorry you hurt._

Shivering, she pushed the memory of the childlike voice that consumed her from her mind and shifted uncomfortably, “Clarke...”

“You still hurt mom,” the girl whispered, “I know you do, and I know why, but don’t you think you would hurt less if-”

Pressing her free hand gently against her daughter’s mouth to shush her, Abby kissed the tears from the girl’s cheek, “Sweetie, I know what you are saying, and I understand it, I do. But, I just don’t know if I can ever really open myself up in the way you want again.”

“Mom, I get it. You’re scared, but you have three triumph stories living here with us. Raven and Tavia had never believed they were deserving of a mother figure until you got involved. Lexa didn’t trust a soul after what her father did. You helped them, you gave them a home and you loved them, and they are thriving because of that.”

“Clarke-”

“And what about me?” Clarke turned to stare at her dead on, “I remember the end of it mom, how could I not, and yet you have never let those memories control me. If I told you I would never love anyone because of what I witnessed would you accept it?”

Abby shook her head no, just the thought of her daughter being stifled in such a way making her ill.

“Yeah, you would help me overcome whatever trepidations I had. We want to do the same for you, we want to help you.”

Clarke looked over her shoulder and Abby followed her gaze, a laugh mixed with a sob escaping her as she caught sight of three sets of eyes peering in at them from the doorway. Seeing they had been spotted, the rest of her little family came running in and bounced on the bed, curling up around her like a litter of kittens.

“You don’t have to date him, or marry him, or have sex with him or anything,” Octavia said as she lay beside Clarke with a chin resting on her pseudo sister’s shoulder.

“Yeah,” Raven said from behind Abby, “just ask him to eat lunch with you sometimes, and maybe go on walks together around the property. Get to know him, like a friend, and see what happens.”

Abby lay there looking at her four girls, all of whom were staring back at her with such hopeful eyes that it made her chest ache.

“Please Abby?”

  
Lexa’s quiet plea was the final straw, and Abby nodded shakily, a broken sigh escaping her.

“Yes, fine, I will ask him to have lunch.”

~~~

And so, it was with the heartfelt pleas of her kids’ bouncing around in her head, that she stopped Marcus from leaving her office Monday morning after he dropped off the report on Ridley.

“Would you like to join me for lunch today?”

Marcus stood staring at her for a moment, a look of what she could almost describe as awe on his face before it turned into a warm smile.

“Sure..um...yes... I would like that a lot.”


	5. Chapter 5

While Abby told herself she would try her hardest to connect with Marcus for the girls’ sake she spent most of that Monday morning with the feeling that she was setting herself up for an awkward hour of stifled conversation. It wasn’t that she didn’t find Marcus interesting; in fact the few conversations they had shared had been some of the liveliest she had had in years. On top of that she wouldn’t have minded hearing more about his former career, so different from the one she had ended up with. There was no doubt in her mind that Marcus wouldn’t be at all dull or hard to listen to.

No, he would not be the issue, but she would be. There was only so much she could speak on- the school, the girls, and her plans for incorporating more programs for underprivileged children. That was it. Her childhood, college years, and all the pieces that made her who she was before she came to Mount Weather were no longer open for discussion. She had not spoken of those things to anyone but the four kids living in her home, and that was only because she knew without a shred of doubt that they would never say anything outside of the confines of their home. While she felt like she might be able to trust Marcus, Abby was still not sure; she needed time to get to know him.

That was the problem. When she had first taken over the school Abby had tried to make connections with the teachers she suddenly found herself in charge of. Again and again she started friendships that died out within a month or so because it was almost impossible for people to connect with her when she was so tight lipped. Everyone, with the exclusion of Diana and her small entourage, were civil enough to their boss but their interactions were limited to kind smiles and “how do you dos.” Abby didn’t blame them, after all how could she expect to grow close to anyone when they had no way of really connecting?

For a moment, as Abby sat waiting for the lunch hour to roll around, she considered just cancelling on the guy and putting them both out of their misery. She could avoid trying to produce stimulating conversation out of the air, and he could avoid trying to seem interested in the very little she had to say. Or perhaps she could just make up a past, which would be easy enough.

Except if she ever did feel like she could share the truth with him, he might not be too happy she had lied. Besides, she couldn’t really stomach the idea of deceit on top of secrecy.

She spent so much of her morning that Monday worrying over how disastrous an attempt at friendship would be, that she was in no way prepared for what actually happened.

Marcus entered her office at noon with a shy smile, and there was a moment of awkwardness as they got themselves situated at the small conference table she kept for meetings with parents; but as soon as they were settled it was smooth sailing. Never once in the hour they spent together did Marcus ask her where she grew up, or where she went to school, or how she came to be at Mount Weather. Instead he asked her about what type of art Clarke dabbled in, mused over Octavia’s cheerfulness, and confided that Raven and Lexa scared him a bit. He asked her about the other scholarship kids, and shared stories about his own interactions with the students he had dealt with so far.

When he left an hour later, with the promise of joining her again the next day, Abby was both pleased and a little confused. Not once in the whole conversation did she feel as if she wasn’t measuring up, and it was a delightful change of pace. However, she didn’t keep her hopes up that the easy flow of conversation would last. At some point Marcus would tire of talking about Mount Weather, and she would have another failed friendship to add to her list.

Except that instead of growing bored Marcus joined her every day for lunch, and never once had her talk about anything outside of what she was comfortable with. He never asked her questions, never dug for more than what she voluntarily gave. Even when she inquired about his time in Law Enforcement he willingly told her all she wanted to know without ever expecting reciprocation from her.

For three weeks it went on, and Abby no longer waited for the other shoe to drop. Perhaps she should worry that maybe Marcus was too conceited and self-centered to care about her past, but she knew that wasn’t it. He did, after all, enjoy listening to her talk about Mount Weather and had even let her spend whole lunch hours talking about her plans for the school with nothing but an amused smile on his face. He was interested in her, but somehow he knew to let her set the pace, and Abby had never been more grateful in her life. So, with a happy heart she sat in her office one Friday morning awaiting her 15th lunch with Marcus and decided to stop worrying, and embrace the gift she had been given.

~~~

Unbeknownst to Abby, Marcus did have a little help when it came to connecting with the elusive headmistress.

The morning that she had first asked him to lunch, he had made his usual rounds of the school to make sure all was well, before heading to his office to work on paperwork. He had just sat down at his desk and pulled out a pile of write-ups when his door slammed open and Raven marched in thrusting a piece of notebook paper at him.

“Read this,” she demanded standing there with her arms crossed.

“What is it?”

“Just read it.”

He eyed the girl suspiciously for a moment before his curiosity got the better of him and he glanced down at the paper in question.

_Things to never ask Abby about:_

_-Her childhood_  
_-Her parents  
-Her schooling_

_-Her early career_

_-Or anything else that might have taken place prior to 10 years ago when she came to Mount Weather_

He read over the list a couple of times, before meeting Raven’s gaze again, confusion knitting his brow, “I really don’t understand.”

Rolling her eyes the girl leaned forward and rested her hands on his desk, “You agreed to have lunch with Abby today did you not?”

“Yes, how did you know?”

“I know things,” she snapped, “and I am assuming from the few interactions I have seen between you two that you would really like to get to know her better. Correct?”

“Um-”

“Don’t answer that, your blush says enough. If you want any chance of being friends with Abby, and perhaps something more, you have to follow this list.”

Getting irritated by the girl’s brash behavior, Marcus slammed the paper down, sitting back to run a hand through his hair, “I really need you to stop speaking so vaguely, and tell me what the hell is going on.”

Sighing with frustration of her own, Raven turned and stuck her head out his door, looking back and forth before shutting it softly. When she turned back her face was a little softer than when she first entered, but there was still a bit of no-nonsense attitude in her eyes that Marcus had to admire.

“Abby has a past Kane, a very bad past that she doesn’t like to talk about.”

“I know.”

“What, how could you possibly know?”

Marcus gave her an amused look, “I did not become one of the youngest to make detective in DC’s law enforcement history by not being observant.” _And I have seen her arm_ , he thought to himself.

“Well good for you detective, so given what you have perceived about Abby, you need to know that if you do not follow this list you are going to make things very difficult on her. She has tried to let people in before and has become so anxious about how limited her conversational topics are she makes herself sick.”

“And how do you know all this?”

Raven rolled her eyes, “Because she has told me and the other three girls everything. Well, she told Lexa, Octavia, and me. Clarke already knew it all, obviously. That is what you need to understand, she will tell you eventually, if she can trust you. But you will never get to that point if you don’t do as you’re told. I am assuming that the big bad detective does want to know all about the damsel’s secret.”

Bristling slightly Marcus leaned towards the kid, his eyes narrowed, “First of all you and I both know that past or no, Abby is not a damsel. Secondly while I do have a slight curiosity, it does not mean not knowing will keep me from being Abby’s friend. Everyone is entitled to their past.”

A smirk twitched at Raven’s lips as she backed towards the door, “You are one of a kind Marcus. I just hope you are smart enough to give Abby the chance to learn that.”

With that final word, the girl had disappeared out the door, leaving him to contemplate the conversation that just took place. It wasn’t a hard decision to make really, he wanted to get to know Abby, and Raven had just shown him how to do it. Earn her trust by not invading on “forbidden” topics, and the woman in question just might let him in on everything his inner investigator was dying to know. Easy enough.

Except it wasn’t.

For as he joined Abby for lunch day after day and spent those moments learning all about her love for the school, and the girls (and all both subjects involved) he found himself no longer caring about what he could not talk to her about. He just wanted to sit with her and watch her light up as she told him about programs she wanted to initiate, or how she was so proud of Raven for almost completing her AA. He wanted to see her laugh as he shared with her stories about the trouble he got up to as a beat cop. He wanted to have her lean close as he whispered a bit of faculty gossip and watch as her nose crinkle when she tried not to laugh and encourage him.

In three weeks’ time Marcus had fallen head over heels in love with Abby, and it didn’t matter that he knew nothing about her early years. She could’ve been a murderer for all he cared. What mattered to him was who she was in the present: a compassionate, kind, loving woman who wanted nothing more than to make positive change happen for those who didn’t have much of a chance. He longed to not only spend lunch listening to her talk about her dreams for the school, he wanted to spend every moment of his day by her side helping her to make those dreams come true.

He was in deep, and he didn’t care about secrets or hidden pasts. He just cared about the present and future.

So when he entered her office the Friday of their third week of lunches, he paused for a moment to watch her as she focused on her computer, not knowing she had an audience; before he stepped forward and placed a rose on her desk. She studied the flower for a moment, and then looked up at him with such an adorably shocked face that he couldn’t help the goofy grin that split his own.

“So I understand there is a formal tomorrow...”


	6. Chapter 6

“This is a mistake.”

Looking up from where she was meticulously curling her mom’s hair, Clarke glared through the vanity mirror, “No it isn’t. It will be fun.”

Abby glared back at her daughter for a moment before deflating in her seat, her hands fidgeting over the brushes and make up on the counter before her, “I feel silly, I am supposed to be focusing on chaperoning this event, not flirting with Marcus. I should call him and tell him to just forget it. I am sure he will understand.”

She reached for her cell phone only have it snatched away by Lexa who had been watching over the proceedings and guiding Clarke to areas that needed touched up, “You are not calling him Abby. Every faculty member and most of the staff will be in attendance tonight, as well as the board members. There will be plenty of people to help you “‘chaperone.’ You, more than anyone in this school, deserve to have a little fun.”

While Abby didn’t know if Lexa was right about that last bit, the girl was right that there would be plenty of supervision that evening. The fall formal, which was thrown each year for the high school students, always managed to be one of the biggest events Mount Weather hosted. All the faculty and staff were eager for a chance to dress up and join in the night of wonderfully catered food and ballroom dancing, while board members liked to take the opportunity to snoop around a bit and get to know the students that kept the school running. With so many adults in the room there really was no need for set chaperones and her excuse to cancel on Marcus was pretty flimsy, but how could she possibly share her real fears with the kids?

When Marcus had dropped the rose on her desk yesterday and asked her to let him escort her to the formal there was a moment when everything in her world seemed right. She immediately said yes, and then spent her evening at the mall with the girls trying to find a new dress. Usually she wore something she already owned, but this time was special and she was going to make the most of it.

Her excitement over the upcoming date, or whatever you would call it, died around 3:00am Saturday morning when she was jolted awake by a nightmare.

_You deserve this, you brought this on yourself._

For the rest of night and well into the next afternoon she could not shake the voice that had re-jammed itself into her brain and refused to let go.

_Watch what happens when a woman is bad._

Over and over memories of the life she once had, and the actions that led to her being at Mount Weather played in her head and reminded her that she didn’t deserve to enjoy Marcus’ friendship or company. She had already been gifted with one wonderful biological daughter, and three equally amazing adopted daughters. On top of that she had a great job and the chance to help people better their lives, and that was more than she should have.

How could she explain that to the girls though without making them second guess all the things they deserved out of life? Their pasts were at the cost of other people’s mistakes, Lexa could not help that her father was a criminal any more than Raven and Octavia could help that their moms were not reliable. And Clarke...well Clarke couldn’t be blamed for the mistakes she had made. For if Abby hadn’t been so stupid all those years ago, if she had made different choices things wouldn’t have been as bad as they had been.

She was just wording her thoughts in her head to explain why tonight was a bad idea when she felt a slight tug on her hair that had her meeting Clarke’s stern gaze in the mirror.

“Stop trying to think of ways to get out of this and go get dressed. Everything will be fine.”

“Yeah,” Lexa added, “just don’t worry about it being a date if that is what has you so nervous. You are just two friends hanging out at a work event together. If it becomes too much, which it won’t, just pretend you have important business to discuss with a board member and leave Marcus to fend for himself.”

Abby gave a defeated sigh as the two girls smiled encouragingly at her, unable to let them down, and went into her bedroom to get dressed while they did the same. This was going to be a long night.

~~~

Marcus waited by one of the pillars of Mount Weather’s foyer, watching as students and faculty ascended the staircase towards the ballroom doors that were positioned between the two wings of the school. He had to admit that everyone in this place really cleaned up nicely when dressed to the nines and he passed the time by trying to guess the names of students he only partially recognized out of their regular uniforms.

“Hey Kane!”

Turning he smiled as Octavia bounced up to him wearing a knee length evening gown, her arm tucked around that of giant teenagers that he knew for a fact was Anthony Lincoln, “Good evening Octavia, Lincoln.”

The boy nodded shyly as Octavia skimmed him from head to two, “You clean up nice; Abby will be swooning at the sight of you.”

Blushing, Marcus looked at his feet trying to hide his embarrassment, “I highly doubt she will, but thank you for the compliment.”

Lincoln tugged impatiently on his date’s arm and succeeded in getting her moving, but not before she looked over her shoulder and practically yelled, “Abby will be here soon!” Thankfully the foyer was so loud with the excitement of the kids that her words were drowned out, and therefore hard for anyone who wasn’t looking directly at her to understand. The last thing he needed were rumors about him and Abby before there was anything to really talk about.

As he continued to wait he spotted Diana strutting through the lobby hanging flirtatiously on an older gentleman whom Marcus recognized from the board. Meeting his gaze she winked and blew him a kiss that had him inwardly cringing. Looking away he chose to focus on some of the molding that decorated the lobby, sending up a prayer that the chemistry teacher would head upstairs and try not to talk to him. Lately she had become slightly provocative in their interactions, and it made him uncomfortable. He much preferred subtle women to those who just threw themselves at whoever they set their sights on.

His thoughts shifted to Abby, and he smiled slightly to himself as he thought of her in her office the day before. As he presented her with the rose she was all blushes and sweet smiles, and it had warmed his heart. Now there was a woman who he wouldn’t mind having thrown at him, but first he had to get her to see that she could do so. Hopefully tonight would be the first step in getting them to move a step forward in their relationship, even if that step was just them spending time together outside of their lunch hour. For a man who had been known to be impatient, he was surprised to learn that he had no problem waiting for Abby; in fact she had ensnared him so completely that he would spend years waiting for her if need be.

“Hey.”

Startling Marcus turned and found the object of his thoughts standing before him in all her glory. “Abby,” he whispered his eyes looking her over, his brain going completely blank as he took her in. She was wearing a light pink long sleeved evening gown that clung to her torso and then flowed out at the waist. The sleeves billowed out from her arms, but ended at her wrists with delicate cuffs that would keep them in place and the neck line dipped down low enough in the front to give a subtle hint of what lay beneath. The color, while not something he would have expected to see on her, did amazing things to her complexion making it seem as if she was glowing and her hair was perfectly curled around her face which added to the effect of the whole package. She looked like something out of a Greek myth, and he wanted nothing more than to drag her away from the festivities so that only he and he alone could look upon her.

Shaking his mind from such thoughts, he offered her a warm smile, his hand extending to take hers, “You look absolutely gorgeous.”

His words had a blush forming across her face, and she looked shyly at the floor before glancing up at him from beneath her lashes (and good God did that look kill him), “You don’t look so bad yourself; I might have to make black tie a part of your uniform.”

Laughing Marcus placed a hand on her back, and gently led her towards the stairs so they could join the party, pretending not to notice Abby’s brood eying them as they stood talking with their dates. “Please tell me my darling that you have one slot on your dance card for me,” he joked, trying his best at a southern accent.

“Oh gracious me Mr. Kane, here I am all plum out of dances. Perhaps you should try your hand with another lady.”

They giggled together as they entered the ballroom, and Marcus was about to continue on with the joke when the older man he saw earlier with Diana called out her name. Smiling obligingly, he bent and kissed her hand, “Duty calls Dr. Atkinson, I will go grab us some punch while you take care of business.” Leaning closer to her ear he whispered, “Let me know if you have a dance open up, I am particularly skilled at the waltz.”

As he made his way to the table where punch had been set out, leaving Abby to deal with the board members, he eyed the dance floor with mild amusement. Abby had told him that only traditional ballroom dancing was allowed at the formal and that all the kids had been trained for the occasion, but he didn’t realize that any teen in this day in age could actually dance a waltz or fox trot with any sense of grace. Of course the Mount Weather kids were proving him wrong as they twirled and stepped around the dance floor in almost perfect time with the string quartet that was playing in the corner. For a moment he could almost imagine he had been transported back into the Victorian era, if not for the kids on the edge of the floor snapping pictures with their phones.

“I didn’t realize you and her royal highness were a thing,” a silky smooth voice whispered in his ear, causing him to lose focus on the dancers as he jumped slightly. Turning to shoot a glare at Diana, he reached for two glasses and began to fill them with punch.

“I don’t see how it is any of your business Diana.”

“Oh sweetie, it isn’t,” she purred, “I just wanted to warn you. Our most respected leader has been known to be...well let’s just say she is quite adept at using her assets to get what she wants.”

“Well seeing as there is nothing I could think of that she would want from me, I am just going to take my chances. Now if you’ll excuse me,” he went to move past her, stopping when she grabbed his arm.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you Kane, and don’t come crawling to me when she leaves you high and dry.”

Smirking he leaned in, a feral grin on his face, “I would rather be celibate than crawl anywhere near you.”

With that he broke free and made his way back across the room, shooting a wink at Clarke as he passed her where she was dancing with the Collin’s boy, which she greeted with a friendly nod. Abby was still speaking with the board member, a Mr. Montgomery if he recalled correctly, so he casually handed her the punch while she effortlessly pulled him into the conversation by exclaiming what a difference having a disciplinary officer made.

As the night wore on the two of them circulated the room, talking casually with teachers and greeting the other four board members who were in attendance. More than once Marcus would notice one of Abby’s girls eyeing them with happy glances, or Diana and Shumway glaring at them, and he would glance Abby’s way to see if she noticed too. If she did she gave no indication, and he took that as a good sign. The last thing he wanted was her to be made uncomfortable by the attention their friendship (or whatever this was) brought them.

It was nearing eleven, when the formal would end, and most of the board had left while the teachers were sitting exhausted in the chairs around the room. With all the students focused on enjoying the last few minutes of dancing, Marcus found that he and Abby were fully alone for the first time all night. Smiling as the final dance, a waltz, began to play, he took up her hand and tilted his head towards the floor, “May I have this honor.”

A flicker of fear flashed in her eyes, and he wondered for a moment if he had made a mistake, but then she smiled and nodded before allowing him to lead her onto the floor amongst the students. As he positioned their joined hands and pulled her close, his hand resting gently on her waist, Marcus took a second to bask in the feel of her before he slowly began to move them through the steps.

At first she was stiff, and there was no denying the slight tremble in her hand as he moved them in the twirling formation the dance required. Pausing, he shifted his hand on her back a little and pulled her closer, the effect being that she was more balanced on her toes and leaning closer to him. Smiling he brought his mouth close to her ear, breathing in her sent for a moment before he gently whispered “Let go Abby. I promise you can trust me and I promise I won’t let you falter. Just let go.”

He pulled away from her, and met her eyes as she studied him before a determined look came over her, and she nodded softly to him. With her consent he was moving them again, and this time with much more ease. Instead of the halting movements from before they were flowing in perfect sync, Marcus guiding and Abby following, their eye contact never breaking. It was as if they were the only two people in the room, and he never wanted it to end. As cliché© as it was, he honestly could’ve spent every moment of his life waltzing with this woman and never get bored. Sadly though, just as he was really starting to get into things the music slowed and stopped, leaving them standing awkwardly on the dance floor, the spell broken.

Stepping away from him, Abby walked to the stage where the musicians were set up and signaled for everyone’s attention. “Thank you all for attending the fifth annual fall formal,” she started, he couldn’t help but notice her voice was a little strained, “You all looked absolutely lovely, and as usual your grace and decorum made me so very proud. Please make sure you grab a party favor before you leave, and travel safe as you make your way home. We will see you all Monday.”

Marcus watched as she walked off the stage, moving to speak with Jackson and was about to join her to see if he could walk her to her house when he felt a firm nudge on his shoulder. He turned and let out an annoyed groan as he found not only Raven, but Clarke, Lexa, and Octavia staring up at him with narrowed eyes. Behind them Lincoln stood his shoulders hunched shooting the older man a sympathetic look as if to say he would help if he could.

“What can I do for you ladies?”

“Don’t give us that,” Clarke snapped, “what did you do?”

Confused Marcus held up his hands in defense, “Nothing! We had a great night.”

“Yeah, until you danced,” Raven snarked her glare the scariest of the four.

“What? Did you not see us? There was nothing wrong with us dancing, it was..it...”

“It was beautiful,” Octavia supplied, “I know, we saw it. But something happened because now Abby is upset.”

Marcus ran a hand through his hair in frustration turning to find the woman in question and coming up empty. “She isn’t upset,” he insisted looking back at the girls, “just help me find her and you’ll see, everything is fine.”

“She isn’t here Mr. Kane,” Lincoln said apologetically, “She just ran out the door.”

The four girls looked around startled, and shot him one last glare before following after their mom. He went to follow as well but Lincoln stopped him with a soft apology, “It’s best to leave them be when they are like this.”

Marcus nodded and watched as the kid walked off to say goodbye to some friends, running his hands through his hair again. What had he done?

“See, just like I said Don, high and dry.”

Shooting a glare over his shoulder where Diana and Shumway stood laughing at the situation Marcus stormed out of the ballroom, down the steps and out the door of the school, not letting his eyes wander anywhere near the vicinity of the house down the hill. Instead he took the longest way possible to get to his apartment.

~~~

It was 1:00 am, and Marcus was slumped on his couch, the jacket of his tuxedo thrown over a chair while the bowtie hung open at his neck. That was all he had managed to accomplish, when he had walked in the apartment two hours earlier, before he lost any desire to do anything but stew in his own self-pity. All he wanted out of this night was to show Abby that she had a friend who she could depend on, a person outside of her household that she could trust. Then, with one stupid (albeit wonderful) dance he had ruined everything he had been trying to build between them. That was all it took-one dance- and all hope had been disintegrated.

So deep was Marcus in his dark thoughts that when the frantic knock sounded at his door, he nearly jumped out of skin. Standing up he made his way towards the door, cursing whoever would be disturbing him this late at night and praying it wasn’t Diana coming to “comfort” him in some disturbingly sick way. In his mind there were endless possibilities for who could be at the door, but not once did it occur to him that when he pulled it open he would find Abby standing there.

He gaped at the woman for a moment, taking in her sweats, sloppy ponytail, and tear stained face (and how was it that she was just as beautiful in this state as she was at the dance?) before he looked at her in utter confusion.

“I really think we need to talk,” she whispered.


	7. Chapter 7

Abby managed to stay calm and collected as she made closing statements and located Jackson to make sure the school got locked up. She kept her head high, and smile on as she walked around the edge of the ballroom, her eyes on Marcus as he was closed in by Clarke and the others. She paused only briefly to wonder why the girls were seemingly ganging up on the man, before deciding it was more imperative to get away. She slipped out of the ballroom with ease, ducking into the high school hallway before heading towards the emergency stairwell at the opposite end. Once she had made it outside she stuck to the shadows as she half walked, half ran towards her house.

She didn’t break down until she was through her front door, up the stairs and in the safety of her room. It was then that she had thrown herself on her bed and began to sob deep heavy sobs that shook her frame and made her stomach ache from the intensity of them. She became vaguely aware at some point that she was not alone, that the girls had timidly entered the room and sat around her, but she was too upset in the moment to care that they were seeing her like this. She was too upset to care about anything.

The tears ended after a while-she wasn’t sure if it had been minutes or hours- and she used what very little energy she had left to turn on her side and curl up in a ball. As her eyes began to focus on her surroundings she noted that Lexa and Raven were seated in the window seat across from her bed both looking at her with mild trepidation; while Octavia sat on the floor leaning against the wall head back and eyes closed; and Clarke was kneeling beside her on the bed, smiling at her gently.

“Want to talk about it?”

Trying to smile back at her daughter and failing, Abby just shook her head and reached for a pillow to bury her face in.

They all stayed where they were for a little longer before she regained some of her composure and looked back up at the teens’, “Go to bed ladies. I am sure you are all tired after tonight. I promise I am fine.”

They all studied her for a moment, and then with a nod from Clarke they stood and took turns leaning down to kiss her cheek before heading to their rooms and settling in for the night. Clarke was the last to leave, her hand wiping away a tear that lingered on her mother’s cheek, “I love you mom.”

“Love you too kid.”

As she lay there listening to the girls go about their nightly routines, Abby closed her eyes and let her mind drift back over the events of the night. She had been nervous to spend the evening with Marcus in such a setting, but she had never imagined how wonderful it could be. He was just as funny, charming, and sweet as he was during their lunches, but with an added...something. She couldn’t explain why but when he would take her hand, or lean in close to tell her something, or simply look at her she felt as if she was the only thing in the world that mattered to him. It was an overwhelming feeling that had a weird way of making her feel both secure in his presence and absolutely terrified.

It all came to a head when he had asked her to dance. It was a simple enough request really, given they were attending the formal together, and while she was nervous to be that close to him, she couldn’t find it in herself to deny him. So she allowed him to guide her onto the floor and as they had started to move it was terrible. She couldn’t relax, and everything felt off center making them stumble over each other rather than glide together. Then, with a patient look, Marcus had shifted their angles and whispered those tender words in her ear, _Let go Abby. I promise you can trust me and I promise I won’t let you falter. Just let go._

So she did just that, she let go of her fears and allowed him to start the dance again. The results the second time around were...spectacular. Never had she felt more treasured, adored, loved, than when Marcus moved them step by step through the waltz. The whole time he kept his eyes locked with hers, and she found that she didn’t ever want to lose sight of them again. Then, before she could really wrap her mind around what was happening, the dance ended and their eye contact was severed. Just like that his words from moments ago crashed over her in a chilling wave.

_You can trust me._

Of course she could trust him, he had given her no reason not to, but she could not promise him the same thing. How could she when the she had never let him in? How could she ask for his trust when everything about her felt like a lie? How could she ask for his trust when she knew the truth of her past would have him reeling away from her?

She needed to tell him. She wasn’t cruel enough, or strong enough to turn her back on him, so she had to tell him everything and let him be the one to sever ties. And he would, as much as the thought crushed her, she knew Marcus would not be able to look at her the same once he knew the truth. It didn’t matter though, because the only way she could ever live with herself was to be honest, despite the consequences.

There was a moment when she considered waiting until Monday to talk to him, but she was so full of unrest that she couldn’t stop herself from climbing off the bed, shedding her dress, and pulling on the closest set of sweats she could find. Then, after making sure all the girls were asleep, she headed to his apartment.

Abby didn’t fully realize what she was doing until she was standing before Marcus’ door knocking rapidly, and if there was a part of her that was starting to regret her actions she pushed them aside quickly. She would not let herself turn back, she would be strong. For Marcus’ sake.

As he swung his door open, brow knit in confusion, Abby took a deep breath and before he could say anything blurted out, “I really think we need to talk.”

~~~

Stepping back, still slightly confused by Abby’s sudden appearance, Marcus gestured for her to enter the apartment, “Please make yourself comfortable.”

She nodded nervously and moved into his living area where she sat gingerly on the edge of the sofa, her hands twitching nervously in her lap as she looked anywhere but at him.

“Abby,” he started, causing her to jump as if she forgot he was in the room, “I don’t know what happened at the dance, but if I did something-”

“What happened, Marcus,” she interrupted with a sharp tone that sent a knife straight to his gut, “is that I am a bit of a mess.”

“I’m sor-” he paused, “wait what?”

“Marcus you were perfect tonight, you were. I had so much fun, and that dance was...it was heavenly...please believe me when I say that.” She paused, and looked at her hands, which had curled into tight fists. Marcus was tempted to grab them and soothe her, but he was too unsure by her behaviors this night to do anything but wait for her lead.

“It was all so beautiful,” Abby continued, her eyes shining, “but you asked me to trust you, which I do, but...I can’t assure you that you can trust me.”

“Abby, what are you even talking about, I don’t need assurance. I trust you without you needing to ask.”

“How can you?” Her eyes shifted up to his, bright with anger that he instinctively knew was not directed at him. “You know nothing about me, because I haven’t let you in, and yet you can trust me? That’s ridiculous.”

“I know plenty. I know you are kind, and gentle, and that you are generous. I know you are an amazing leader, who loves her job. I know that you have changed the lives of not only those three girls you took on, but of numerous other kids who wouldn’t have had a chance at such a great education if not for you. I might not know anything other than that, but it is still enough to make me lo-”

“Don’t say that Marcus!” His mouth snapped closed at her intense whisper, and he watched as she brokenly rested her head in her hands, “You can’t say that, please. Because you don’t know. You don’t know!”

Taking a chance he reached out and ran a hand up and down her back, feeling the tense muscles beneath her jacket as she tried to hold herself together. “You’re right, I don’t know, but I can tell you this: you could look me in the eye right now and tell me you are the Zodiac Killer and it wouldn’t change a thing.”

That earned him a snort of amusement, and he allowed himself a small smile that sobered when she faced him again, tears streaming down her cheeks, “You say that now, but you can’t really know that.”

“I can, but if you are so worried about it, then when you are ready you can tell me. I promise I won’t let you down.”

They sat there in silence for a few moments, Abby studying him intensely before she sighed and leaned forward, brushing a soft kiss against his cheek, “That is why I came here,” she whispered against his skin, “I came here to tell you everything. You just have to promise me one thing.”

“Anything, name it.”

She sat back, and pulled her knees to her chest her body turned completely towards his, “You cannot touch me, or interrupt me until I finish. I might not be able to get it all out if you do.”

Nodding empathetically, Marcus stood and moved to an armchair that was still in her eye line, smiling at her confused look, “I can’t promise I won’t be tempted to touch you, this adds a bit of security.”

She smiled back tiredly, her eyes closing as she nodded, “Okay...here goes.”

Taking a deep breath, and trying not to focus on the fact that Marcus would surely look at her poorly when she was done, Abby tried to figure out where to start. Deciding the beginning was best she took one more calming breath, and rested her cheek on her knee focusing on the far wall rather than the man who was studying her warmly.

“I think I should start by saying that my parents never should’ve been married. My dad was a prominent doctor who had spent most of his years so focused on school that he never really had time for relationships. My mom was fresh off the bus from Missouri, and desperate for adventure in a city like DC. She met my dad at a bar, and they were married three months later. She was 23, he was 40. The only reason they married was because she needed security and my dad needed a legacy.”

_Your mom was an ungodly whore Abigail; you better hope it didn’t transfer._

Shoving her dads stern voice from her head, she continued, “I was born in 1972, about ten months after they married, and they named me Abigail Rose. Abigail Rose Montgomery...God it sounds so pretentious.” A soft laugh escaped her as she thought again about how ridiculous her given name was. “Anyway, I am told that for the first five years of their marriage things were fine. My dad continued to rise in his career as a surgeon at John Hopkins, while my mom stayed home with me. When I was old enough I was shipped off here to Mount Weather where I attended kindergarten and first grade.

“I guess when I was at school, and my mom had nothing to occupy her, she got bored. She was young with an old husband, at least old by her standards. So she went looking for younger models. For two years my dad, desperate to keep up the ‘perfect family’ life ignored it, but when I was seven my mom ran off with some man and never looked back. To punish her, my dad moved us from DC to Los Angeles.”

_We are moving far away, so your mother can never crawl back on her whorish knees begging for another chance._

Closing her eyes tight, Abby continued with her story, covering everything Marcus needed to know before she got to the truly terrible part. She told him about rarely seeing her father as he worked endlessly at his new job, even making chief of surgery when she was fourteen. She told him that her only company in her household was a maid that tried to make things homely, but could never measure up. She told him about her endless nights studying and working on projects so that her dad would be proud, and about how she graduated high school a year early due to her efforts. Then about how her dad missed her graduation.

“I am not telling you all this to pity me, or to justify what happens next, because that isn’t want I want. I just think it does have some effect on the story. I sometimes think if things had just been a little different I would’ve handled things differently I guess.” She turned to study Marcus for a second, to see if he was following her, and when he nodded gently she turned to focus on the wall again, her voice trembling as she veered into what was much harder to talk about.

She talked about how she got into UCLA, and moved into a dorm and was so excited to be in a new place. She made friends, and went to parties, but never drank or did anything else besides sip on soda. She wanted nothing to get in the way of her becoming a doctor. It was at one party, in the middle of her first semester, that she met Jake Griffin.

“Jake was...well he just seemed like a dream guy. It was 1989, and he was the epitome of the hot surfer persona. He was laid back, and had a great sense of humor but he was also smart. He was in the engineering program, and wanted to help design space stations. I thought that was so cool. His paying attention to me was also a plus. We spent that whole party talking about...God I don’t even remember...and then after that night we were almost inseparable.

“We stayed together all through undergrad, and there was never a problem. Some of my friends would hint that he was extremely clingy, and in hindsight I can see where they got that. He was always showing up to “‘surprise’ me at my dorm, or after class, and I thought it was sweet. I never took it for what it was, he didn’t trust me. I was too naive to see it I guess.

“The first time I ever acknowledged there was a problem was when I finished up my undergrad work. I had doubled up on a lot of classes, and finished in three years instead of four. The night of my graduation we had a small party, and Jake got drunk. We lived in an apartment together by then, and when we got home he started yelling at me and telling me he was going to put me in my place. I was so confused and when I asked him what he was talking about he slapped me.”

_Stupid bitch, think your better than me, just remember I can break you in a second._

Gulping, Abby stayed focused on the wall, reminding herself yet again that Marcus needed to know all this. “When we woke up the next day, Jake had stayed on the couch that night, he apologized and cried, and I was just too...nervous...to do anything but forgive him. He promised he would never hurt me again, and he didn’t. Nor did he drink. For nine years he kept his promise.”

The story at this point spilled from her mouth. They married a year later, when Jake finished undergrad. Abby finished graduate school at 24 and began her residency at UCLA Medical Center. While Jake finished grad school and took a job with an engineering firm that partnered with NASA. Just in time too, for Abby found out she was pregnant shortly after. It was a rough, exhausting nine months as she worked as much as she could not to fall behind in her residency, and Jake worked to make sure they would be secure once the baby arrived.

Clarke Griffin was born in May 1999 and Abby was head over heels in love from the moment the girl was placed in her arms. Jake was ecstatic at being a dad, and showed the blue eyed blonde off to anyone who would pay attention. The baby was the perfect addition to the life they had made, and in Abby’s world everything was a wonderful dream.

And then it wasn’t.

“When Clarke was about three there were lay-offs at Jake’s company, and he was one of the victims. He tried to find new work, but there were no engineering jobs to be had, and he refused to settle for anything less. It didn’t really matter at that point because I had just been offered an amazing job as an orthopedic surgeon at Cedars-Sinai which more than covered our lifestyle. I tried to assure Jake that he could take his time, that I had things covered, but that only made him mad. I didn’t realize how I was emasculating him; I was just trying to help.

“For the next year he looked for a job that “‘suited his qualifications,’ and played stay at home dad to Clarke while I worked. I was so busy, being the newest doctor at Sinai that I didn’t notice at first that Jake had taken up drinking again. Then I came home one night, after being in surgery for six hours straight and found him slumped in a chair sipping out of a bottle of Johnny Walker. When I came in he stared at me for a moment, and his eyes were so dead...it was...God it was unnerving. Then he just snapped and the next thing I knew the half full bottle of liquor smashed off the wall beside my head.

“I screamed, and he started yelling. He asked me where I was, and when I told him I had a late surgery he called me a liar. He had gotten up by that point and had shoved me against the wall holding me there while he called me a whore, and asked me who I had been with. I kept insisting that I was at work, stupidly trying to rationalize with him, and he would just shake me and shove me into the wall again. At some point Clarke had woken up and had come down the stairs, and I remember looking over Jake’s shoulder and seeing her scared little face and not knowing what to do. Then he stopped, and kind of staggered back before moving to pass out on the couch. It was like he was some sort of machine that ran out of juice, and I remember that unnerved me almost as much as everything else he had done.”

Abby chanced a glance at Marcus, who sat ramrod straight in his chair, his hands folded together in his lap as he stared pointedly at the floor. Deciding that was a better reaction than she was expecting she went on.

“I slept in Clarke’s room that night, she was so shaken, and I was too scared to be in my own room. I just locked her door and pulled her dresser in front of it and hoped for the best. That should’ve been enough to send me packing, being forced to hide in a room with my trembling daughter, but when we came downstairs the next morning the mess from the bottle was cleaned up and Jake had made us breakfast. He begged for my forgiveness, and I could feel Clarke’s eyes on me, and I thought of how unforgiving my dad had been of my mom and how much it hurt me...so I accepted.”

It was the typical decent into hell after that. Abby couldn’t control her surgical schedules and would often come home late to snide remarks about where she had been. For the most part Jake was more subtle than that first night, not wanting Clarke to be involved again, but that didn’t mean he was any less brutal in words or actions. One time in particular she had gone to bed after an hour of listening to Jake cut her down, and was almost asleep when she felt a sharp pain slice across her arm. She was started to find Jake standing over her with a knife, and the promise that things would be worse if she didn’t start obeying.

“I know I should’ve left, every day since then I have told myself I should’ve taken Clarke and left Jake behind, but I was so wrapped up in making sure she had two parents that I wasn’t thinking clearly. It wasn’t until Clarke’s fifth birthday that I realized my mistake.

“It all started when I had a surgery go bad, an artery got nicked, and the patient started to bleed out. What should’ve taken two hours took four and then I had to stay and explain what happened to my chief of surgery. I left the hospital three hours later than I planned to, and missed Clarke’s party...”

As Abby neared the worst part of her story she could not stop the images of that terrible night from filling her head. Closing her eyes she let them wash over her, too tired to fight them off.

_Abby cursed as sped through the streets of LA, her phone to her ear as she tried to reach Jake over and over again. The party they had planned for Clarke would’ve ended two hours ago, and surely he would be available to answer her call. More than likely he was ignoring her out of anger, and she deserved it. What kind of mother missed her baby’s birthday? That was something her mom would do, and had done for the past 25 years. The thought sickened her as she wove in and out of traffic trying to get home as quickly as possible._

_She made it in record time, and as she rushed up the front steps she prayed Jake would understand, or at least wait until Clarke was in bed before railing on her. She knew without a doubt she deserved it this time, but she still didn’t want her daughter subjected to her father’s rage._

_As she burst through the door, Abby knew immediately that she was wishing for too much. Clarke sat on the couch in their living room, wearing the party dress they had bought together the weekend before, her face pale and withdrawn as she eyed her dad warily. For his part, Jake was in his usual chair chugging on some liquor or another, flipping his lighter on and off, staring at the flame. When the door shut behind Abby both looked up at her, Jake with a sneer, and Clarke with a sob forming on her lips._

_Rushing forward Abby scooped her daughter into her arms, brushing her hair out of her face as she pressed a kiss to her forehead, “I am so sorry I missed your party baby, mommy’s surgery went really badly. I am so sorry.”_

_“Don’t listen to her Clarke-y, your mom is a liar.”_

_Trying to ignore her husband Abby, kissed her daughter again, and moved to sit on the couch, “Did you have fun with your friends?”_

_“I bet your mom had fun with her friends Clarke-y, I bet she spread her legs for them. Fucking whore.”_

_Snapping her head up to glare at the drunken mess across from her Abby pressed Clarke close covering her ears, “You can say and believe whatever you want Jake, but stop talking like that around Clarke.”_

_“Why,” he slurred, “don’t want mommy’s little angel to know the truth? That you are just as selfish and pitiful as your own mother; that you run around town fucking anyone who will touch your worthless ass?”_

_“No, I don’t want her to know her father has become a pathetic drunk who takes his own failures out on his wife.”_

_In an instant Jake’s face went from mocking to enraged and she knew she had made a mistake. Before she could react he lunged across the room and wrenched Clarke from her arms, tossing the girl on the couch before rounding back on Abby and grabbing her arm._

_“Clarke,” she said, trying to stay calm, “be a good girl and go upstairs for me. Mommy and daddy need to sort this out.”_

_The girl tried to do as she was told, but Jake shoved her back down, “No, you are going to be a good little girl, and sit right there. Watch what happens when women are bad.”_

_He threw Abby to the floor, her head hitting the coffee table with a loud clunk that had her head spinning. Before she could move to try to get away Jake was straddling her waist, his knees pressing into her elbows as he brought a cigarette to his lips and lit it._

_“Abby, Abby, Abby,” he cooed, reaching forward to stroke her face, “if only you listened to me, we wouldn’t be in this mess. Now I have to show you that I mean business.”_

_Abby tried to get away, terrified as she stared at the unfeeling man above her. He had completely lost his mind._

_There was a moment when she almost broke away from him, only to have the hand not holding the cigarette slam across her face and still her movements. As she tried to blink away the pain and dizziness the hit caused he shifted his weight to free her right arm, bringing it to lie across his leg. For a moment he just stared at the limb, running his fingers along the inner flesh and Abby thought he might be calming down._

_Just as she was sure he might snap out of it, he met her eyes with a cold far off look and brought the cigarette down to press against her skin. She couldn’t tell who screamed louder, her or Clarke, and her head whipped to see her baby curled up hands pressed against her eyes._

_“Don’t look away Clarke,” Jake sneered, “or I will get you next.”_

_Over and over he brought the cigarette down, burning a line of circles up Abby’s arm, and with each burn he hissed one word._

_“Whore.”_

_10 times he did it, 10 times he watched as she screamed, while yelling at Clarke when she tried to look away. And the whole time he said the same word._

_“Whore.”_

_Then just like that he was done. He got a glazed look in his eye, and moved off Abby as she lay trembling and sobbing on the ground. He just took in the scene and then went upstairs, the sound of their bedroom door closing vibrating through the house._

Snapping out of the memories that consumed her Abby brushed the tears she didn’t even realize she had shed from her cheeks and tried to take a breath.

“As soon as he went upstairs I took one look at Clarke who was almost catatonic with shock, and I knew what I had to do. I called the cops and had him arrested. What followed was two months of Jake rotting away in jail waiting for his trial, and me having to deal with sympathetic looks from colleagues. I hated that I had put myself in the situation to begin with, and all I wanted was for it to disappear. I just needed to wait for Jake to get sentenced, and then I figured I would have at least two years to figure out what my next step was.

“Except he didn’t get two years, he got six months. The justification was that the government couldn’t afford to hold him longer than that for such a minor crime. I was scared out of my mind and it only got worse when they led him from the courtroom because he turned to me with this calm smile. I knew then and there that when he got out he was going to start what he finished.

“So I walked out of there, and I pulled all the money I had from my accounts: my inheritance from my dad, my savings, everything. Then I spent a week pulling every string I could, calling in favor after favor, and had mine and Clarke’s last name changed. I bought a car with cash, loaded up whatever we could fit inside, and we drove away. I was aiming for Maine, as far from Jake as I could get without leaving the country, but when we passed through DC I couldn’t help but stop and show Clarke where I first went to school. Come to find out Mount Weather was on the brink of being shut down, and before I knew it I made an offer on the place and well...the rest is history.”

As she finished talking Abby felt as if she had been cut open and every bit of her had been put on display. Not once had she ever shared that much of herself with anyone, including the girls, but for some reason she couldn’t stop herself from telling every detail of her life to this man who she had known for barely 3 months. The result left her feeling both raw and relieved, as if she had just unloaded a giant weight from her shoulders.

Trembling slightly she ran a shaky hand over her cheeks to dry them, before allowing herself to turn her focus back on Marcus to gauge his reaction.

As her eyes met his and she saw the rage marring his usually calm exterior her heart stopped. She knew in that instant that she had lost him.


	8. Chapter 8

Marcus was not a violent person. He was in fact the product of a mother who had always taught him to be calm and collected in the face of any adversity, and while that had gotten him teased a bit from other men on the force, it had also helped him in his career advancement. Higher ups liked to see their officers cool under pressure, and he had the ability to be the coolest of them all.

No, Marcus was not a rash or violent person, but as he listened to Abby tell him about all the details of her past, that calmness left him and in its place was a sense of rage he had never felt before. It started as a mild feeling when she talked about her father, his brain unable to comprehend having a parent that would make their child feel so worthless; and it only grew as the story progressed. By the time she finished he was shaking with anger as he imagined all the things he would do to Jake Griffin if he ever came face to face with the man.

As Abby’s voice petered out, Marcus stared off into space and imagined various ways he could truly teach her ex-husband a lesson, not even realizing that his anger was radiating off of him in waves. It wasn’t until Abby spoke again, her voice filled with defeated acceptance, that he realized his error.

“I can understand how angry you are right now Marcus, and I know that whatever this is between us is done, but I hope you will stay on at Mount Weather. For the students’ sake, they really like you.”

Her words had him going from enraged to confused, and it took him a moment to fully grasp what she was saying, but when he did he could’ve punched himself. It was an obvious thread throughout her story that Abby blamed herself for what had befallen her. Therefore, it was only natural for her to think he blamed her for her past as well, and would no longer want to be around her. The thought was ridiculous.

He looked up to meet her eyes, determined to tell her how wrong she was in her previous statement, when the tears falling down her face made all words leave him. He promised he wouldn’t touch her when she was talking, but she had finished her tale and that was more than enough motivation to get him moving from the chair to the couch, his hand coming up to gently wipe the moisture from her cheeks.

She watched his movements with a nervous timid-ness that broke his heart, but she didn’t stop him. Instead she leaned closer, and he could’ve sworn he caught a bit of hope in her gaze. Realizing he had one shot at getting this right he moved his hand to cup her face, while the other reached up to stroke her hair.

“Abby,” his whispered, his voice breaking with his own emotions, “I could never ever be mad at you for what you just told me. I am mad, yes, but at your ex-husband. Not at you. Not in a million years.”

She shook her head as if disputing his words, her brows furrowing in confusion, “But it wouldn’t have happened if I had been better about my schedule, or if I hadn’t rubbed my job in his face  or-”

He shushed her, this thumb brushing over her lips, “You did nothing to deserve what you got sweetheart. Jake, from what I can gather, had an issue that stemmed way deeper than anything you did or didn’t do. You could’ve done everything completely different and ended up with the same results. So please _please_ stop blaming yourself.”

Abby closed her eyes, more tears falling from them as her lips trembled, “Even if that’s true Marcus, I still lied to you. Just like I have lied to everyone else. I am not who I look like.”

With an aching heart Marcus took in Abby’s broken, defeated posture and realized something he should’ve seen earlier. This woman had come here with the idea that her words would drive him away, that once he knew the truth of her past he would close himself off from her. She had come to give him an out, one he wasn’t accepting, and he could practically see the fragile confusion emanating from her. She never once prepared herself for a situation in which he wouldn’t be mad at her and that broke him in ways he never thought possible.

Before he could really think about his actions he leaned down and brushed his lips lightly against her forehead before letting them travel over her face in light fluttering touches. He kissed each of her eyelids before moving to her cheeks where his lips sought out any lingering tears. He was tempted to claim her mouth as well, but afraid of overwhelming her he instead rested his forehead against hers, his hands cupping her face, as his thumbs gently stroked her jaw.

Closing his eyes he took a moment to bask in the feel of her so close, with her breath brushing against his skin, before he began to speak, “Abby, I am going to tell you some things, and I need you to listen. Can you promise me that? That you will listen, truly listen, to what I have to say?”

He felt her nod and he smiled as a soft “Yes” escaped her lips her body trembling beneath his fingertips. He could feel the tension radiating off of her and he prayed that what he needed to say truly fell on open ears.

“You were hurt badly,” he started, his voice breaking a bit as he thought again of her story, “you were hurt more than any person should ever be allowed to hurt. I know you think that by staying when you did you brought it on yourself, but that is not the case. You are not at fault for this sweetheart, you aren’t. You were an innocent bystander of your husband’s battle with his demons. You and Clarke both were.”

“But if I had-”Abby began, but Marcus let out a gentle shush and nuzzled his nose against hers.

“We could spend all night talking could’ve, would’ve, should’ve, but the important thing we are going to focus on right now is what you did do.” At her confused look, he smiled gently and kissed her nose before sitting back, pulling Abby along to rest against his chest, his hands stroking her back in gentle strokes.

“You got away Abby. You saw that staying just so Clarke would have the home you never did was in fact more dangerous, and you changed things. You sought justice for your mistreatment and when our judicial system failed you, as is so often the case with matters like these, you did what needed to be done.”

He laughed softly as he recalled everything she had revealed about herself, unable to stop his lips from brushing her head in an awed sense of wonder.

“You were a surgeon Abby, and I am willing to bet you were an amazing one, yet despite all the hard work you put into your career you left it behind. You took all that you could, and you drove away from years of schooling, training, and career building to make sure Clarke would never be in the danger she was on the night of her birthday. That right there is enough to make me love you.”

Feeling her shift at his words, Marcus looked down and found brown eyes boring into his with utter disbelief. “What?” He asked giving her a gentle grin that was met with a similar one on her trembling lips, “Did you honestly think I would take back my feelings just because of what you shared? I have news for you darling, your story has only multiplied those feelings by 1000.”

“Marcus-“ Abby whispered, her head shaking as if she were going to refute his words, so he brushed a thumb against her lips to quiet her again.

“Abby, I am not one for long, flowery speeches, so let me just say this. You are an amazing, beautiful, smart, generous, complicated woman who literally knocks the breath out of me every time she enters a room. You have a painful past, yes, but that past does not define you. It might have shaped who you are today, but it is not allowed to hold you hostage. You have to stop blaming yourself for something that was completely and totally not your fault. You are not the bad guy in this story.

“I wish I could wave a wand and take the pain and guilt you are feeling- have been feeling for 10 years- and make it all disappear. Still, given that life is never that simple, I can only make the most sincere promise I have ever made in my life.”

Shifting them to where he could better see Abby’s face, Marcus took it back into his hands, his thumbs sweeping away the tears that were once again falling from her eyes. Continuing to smile gently he bent his head, stopping when his lips were no more than an inch from her ear, “For as long as you let me, I will devote every second of every day in helping you put your past completely behind you and to help you see that none of what happened was in anyway your fault. I will do everything I can to help you understand that you deserve to be loved and cherished, that you are worth being loved and cherished, that you are loved and cherished. I promise Abby, I promise.”

As he finished speaking, there was a moment in which Marcus felt more fear course through him than he had ever felt in his life. He tried to compose himself; his eyes focusing on Abby’s tear stained cheeks, before he let his gaze rise up to meet hers. She was looking up at him in wide-eyed disbelief, with a mix of something he couldn’t discern, and he hoped and prayed to whoever was listening that he hadn’t just made things worse. He was just about to think of a way to apologize for upsetting her further, when she shifted and closed the space between their lips.

It took his brain all of three seconds to realize what was happening, but when it caught up he couldn’t help the groan that escaped him as his arms circled around Abby’s waist to pull her closer, his head tilting to better capture her lips between his. She gasped at the change in angles but didn’t pull back, she just pressed more insistently against him as one of her hands stroked his chest, and the other ran up to grip his hair lightly between her fingers. Marcus didn’t think anything could top the moment, but then she proved him wrong by sliding her tongue against his lips and he moaned in delight, eagerly granting her entrance.

Neither wanted the moment to end, but the need for air soon became too much and they broke away with ragged breaths, their foreheads resting against each other’s once more as they began to cool down. Every once in a while, the separation would become too much and one of them would lean in for a soft, gentle kiss that would turn frenzied once again.

Marcus wasn’t sure how long things went on like that, but when he felt Abby’s hand trailing down his chest towards the waist of his pants he jumped back a little startled and grabbed the exploring appendage. “Abby,” he panted, meeting her eyes and wincing at the look of uncertainty he saw there, “sweetheart, we need to slow down a bit.”

The look in her eyes turned to rejection, and Marcus cursed himself as she pulled back, her arms hugging her waist, “I’m sorry...I thought...well with what you said, and then the kissing...I just thought you wanted-”

“I do want it Abby. God knows there is nothing I want more than to take you into my bedroom and prove to you how much I want this to happen between us. Please do not doubt me on that.”

“Then why don’t you do just that?”

Sighing he pulled her into a hug and kissed her hair, allowing himself a moment to enjoy the vanilla scent that wafted from it before continuing, “Because, when you and I are together for the first time it will not be at the end of a very long and emotional night like this one. When I take you to bed it will not be overshadowed by dredged up pasts. I plan on wining and dining you sweetheart and I plan on doing everything in my power to show you how precious and loved you are to me. Then, when the timing is right, when we both feel we are truly ready, I am going to lock us in this apartment and spend a whole weekend showing you how much I want you.”

He ended his speech with a little dance of his eyebrows, even as he cupped her hand gently and pulled it to his lips so he could bestow a kiss on her inner wrist.

Letting out a shaky breath, eyes filling once more, Abby looked away and used her free hand to wipe at the fresh tears, “And here you said you weren’t much for flowery speeches.”

He smiled and leaned in kissing her gently, pulling back before things could get heated again, “I guess you bring out the best in me.”

“Charmer,” a roll of her eyes and a half smirk was his reward for his cheesy line; and then her face turned contemplative as she studied him, her teeth biting at her lower lip.

“What are you thinking sweetheart?”

“Well I was just hoping, and you can say no if it’s too much, but I was hoping I could sleep here? I would have to be back at my house before the girls woke up, but I don’t want to leave you yet.”

Too overwhelmed by her words, Marcus swallowed a lump from his throat and nodded tears of his own filling his eyes. Such a simple request, and one made with such hopefulness, was the final straw for him. If he wasn’t in love with this woman before he was now, and there was no way he’d ever be able to walk away from her without a fight.

Standing he tugged on the hand still curled up in his, pulling her to her feet and headed down the small hallway to his bedroom. Drawing back the covers he moved aside and watched as she toed off her shoes and pulled off her sweatshirt before crawling in between the sheets in just her yoga pants and a tank top. He quickly moved to his dresser, shedding his own clothes until he was just in his briefs, and pulled out a pair of pajama pants. Once he had them and a t-shirt on, he crawled beside Abby, and rolled on his side to face her. She did the same, and for a moment looked uncertain about what she should do, and he knew she was wondering if she would be welcome to touch him.

With a warm, reassuring smile, he held up an arm and she immediately shot closer, snuggling into his chest, her right arm wrapping around his waist, while his left went around her shoulders and pulled her closer.

“I think I might love you too Marcus,” she whispered, “but-”

“Shhh Abby, there is no rush. I’m here for you no matter what, I promise. Now get some sleep sweetheart.”

It didn’t take long for her to follow his request, and Marcus found himself studying the sleeping form of the woman beside him. It was then, and only then, that he realized her arm was completely bared to him for the first time since they had met. It might have seemed like a little thing to anyone looking in on the couple, but to him it meant everything. Abby had removed the visual representation of the walls she so loved to keep up, and was allowing him to see a vulnerable part of her.

Moving slowly, and watching her face for any sign of waking, Marcus lifted her arm from his waist and turned it slightly. The light from the moon outside was not ideal, but it was enough to allow him to make out the row of circular scars that marred her soft skin. He counted them slowly, his eyes filling with tears yet again; humbled by the woman who had endured such pain and came out better for it. She might not realize how amazing she was, but he had the proof right here.

Lowering his head, he pressed a kiss to the scar closest to him, and returned her arm to its resting place with a whispered “I love you,” before he too gave in to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Upon waking up the next morning, Abby’s first reaction was one of alarm. She had been in that place between consciousness and sleep when she became aware of an arm wrapped tightly across her back, trapping her in the bed that did not feel like her own. Startling at the realization she came fully awake, her eyes wildly taking in the male chest she was pressed against, before shooting up to find it belonged to a sleeping Marcus.

Just like that all the events of the night before flooded through her memory-going to the formal, the dance, her running from the school, and her decision to come to Marcus’ apartment and tell him everything about herself. She had been so sure when she had knocked on his door the night that she would be leaving shortly after with a broken heart, but clear conscious. Her story would be told, and Marcus could see that he was better off no longer pursuing her.

Of course, she didn’t take into account how stubborn the man in question could be. So sure was Abby that he would be disgusted by her that she was in no way prepared for the exact opposite to happen. She was not prepared for gentle touches, and sweet words; she was not prepared to be told she was loved, and that she was not at fault for what had happened. It confused her to no end, but thrilled her at the same time in a way she didn’t expect. Perhaps, with Marcus’ help, she could learn to be enough for him, and she could have a shot at happiness. It was a desperate hope, the one that had made her think he could perhaps love her; but it was hope none the less. It was what drove her to kiss him, and it was what made her so desperate to cling to him for a few more hours as they slept.

It was a hope that seemed pretty pathetic in the light of a new day. Rethinking over their conversation the night before, Abby cursed herself for letting the thoughts of love cloud what she knew was right. She liked Marcus a lot, probably loved him, and because of that she knew he was a good man. He deserved an equally good woman, and despite what he said to the contrary, she was not that. She might do good things now, and she could almost believe that there was nothing she could’ve done to prevent Jake’s abuse, but that wasn’t her main problem. No, it wasn’t what she could’ve done that kept her from wanting to accept this man’s love; no it was one particular should’ve that rang out above everything else. She should have kept her daughter safe, and she didn’t. Instead she put Clarke in more danger than any four year old had a right to be in.

She should have known better, it was a thought she had a thousand times, she should have known to leave from that first night Jake slammed her into the wall. She shouldn’t have cowered with her daughter in a bedroom, but grabbed what she could and ran. She didn’t though. Instead, she allowed herself to believe that it was better for Clarke to stay in that environment, it was better to endure emotional and physical abuse so her kid could have two parents. Despite being a logical human being, Abby chose to stay, and because of that her daughter was in danger for a full year.

Suddenly feeling an overwhelming panic as her thoughts consumed her Abby jerked back from the sleeping man in the hopes of getting some space. In her desperate need to flee she completely miscalculated her movements and next thing she knew she was rolling off the bed and landing on the floor with a dull thud.

“Abby?” Marcus’ head poked out over the edge of the mattress, and Abby cursed herself for waking him up. It was bad enough she had kept him up until all hours of the night, but to then not let him catch up on the lost sleep was even worse.

“I’m sorry M-Marcus,” she gasped, trying to pull air into her lungs despite the panic attack that was slowly rising up to suffocate her, “I-I um...shit...”

She lay there, sprawled on the floor of the man’s bedroom, gasping for breath, and acting like a complete fool. If this didn’t change his opinion of her, she wasn’t sure what would; and while she knew his realizing how much of a mess she was now-before they went any further- was for the best, she couldn’t help the tears that formed at the thought. She didn’t want to tie Marcus down to her crazy, but she also didn’t want to lose him, and those conflicting thoughts were bound to drive her further into insanity.

Sighing, she placed a hand over her eyes, trying her hardest to catch a breath and failing miserably. This was it, she was going to run out of air and die in one of her employee’s bedrooms. Three of her daughters would be left to fend for themselves in the foster system, while Raven would struggle to figure out how to complete school. Mount Weather would be at the mercy of the board, and people like Diana; and any hope the scholarship students had at a better life would be ruined. All because she was a stupid, thoughtless person who couldn’t keep her emotions in check.

Abby was suddenly pulled from her morose thoughts by a pair of strong arms lifting her from the ground, and a warm chest pressed against her ear as she was carried to a chair in the corner of the room. For a moment, as Marcus sat himself down and situated her in his lap, she calmed down, but it was not enough to catch a breath and the burning in her lungs sent her panic skyrocketing again.

“Abby,” Marcus was whispering, “breathe sweetheart. Breathe.”

She tried to listen to him, but when she still couldn’t get any air in she shook her head and closed her eyes. She couldn’t do it, she was going to die. It was okay though, she could accept it, and perhaps Marcus would look after the girls-

“Abby!” The man’s alarmed shout, coupled with his hands cupping her face, startled Abby’s eyes back open, and she looked up at him meeting his dark look.

“Follow my breaths Abby, keep your eyes on me, and follow my breaths.”

She did as she was told, focusing on his mouth as he breathed in and out in a slow and steady motion, willing her body to do the same. Slowly but surely her brain began to catch on, and as blessed air filled her lungs she felt relief wash over her; she was breathing, everything would be okay because she was breathing.

Marcus smiled at her, one hand still cupping her cheek, while the other reached up to stroke her hair, guiding her closer so he could place a kiss to her forehead, “That’s good Abby, so good. Keep breathing darling.”

It took a few more minutes of following his lead, but after a bit her breathing returned to normal, as did her heart beat, and the panic that had caused the whole thing had been reduced to a mild thrum in the back of her head. As she returned to herself, Abby realized how much trouble she caused and turned her focus on the skin Marcus’ t-shirt exposed, too embarrassed to look him in the eye. “Sorry about that,” she whispered, “I haven’t had that happen in a while; my brain couldn’t seem to figure out how to handle things.”

Bringing his hand down to cup her chin, Marcus tilted her head back and ducked to meet her eyes, “Hey, it happens to the best of us, don’t worry about it. Do you...do you want to tell me what set you off?”

Abby leaned her head against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat and soaking in as much of him as she could before he asked her to leave.

“I was thinking about everything I told you last night and how accepting you were and how happy it made me, but” she closed her eyes against the tears that were starting to form yet again, “but then I started thinking about how you said I wasn’t at fault, and you’re wrong.”

“Abby-”

“No,” she hissed, cutting him off, “you were wrong, because I should’ve done something. I might not have been able to prevent Jake’s abuse by changing my actions within our marriage, but I should’ve left. From his first sign of aggression I should’ve taken Clarke and left, because my staying only put her in danger. You might be right that nothing else was my fault, but endangering my child was. If Clarke said the wrong thing, she could’ve set Jake off and he would’ve hurt her and it would have been my fault. The thought of her being hurt because of my stupidity overwhelmed me, and then the thought of you being stuck with someone who could be so careless with their child pushed me over the edge so to speak.”

Marcus had no response to that, and after taking another calming breath Abby forced herself to meet his eye, sure that this time he would be looking at her with disgust. Instead he was staring up at his ceiling with a contemplative look that sent the hope from last night skittering through her bones.

 _Fool_ , she cursed herself, _he is probably just thinking about the best way to end things._

After a few moments of silence, she became fidgety as the suspense of the moment ate away at her self-control. “Marcus-“ she started but he raised his hand to silence her, his eyes coming down to lock with her.

“This is what is going to happen,” he said, his voice a calming whisper, “you are no longer going to do this alone. I should’ve made things more clear last night, but...things...got away from me.” His smile and far off look told Abby he was thinking of their multitude of kisses, and she looked away blushing, her mind trying to wrap fully around his not telling her to leave.

“I love you Abby, and I know you don’t fully grasp what that means yet, so I will spell it out for you,” he paused to pull her closer, his lips pressing into her hairline as he continued, “You, for as long as you want me, have me. I don’t know what it is about you, but I have been yours since the moment we first met, I couldn’t escape that even if I wanted to. I could no sooner walk away from you on my own volition than I could cut off my own arm.”

Abby shook her head to protest, but he shushed her, “I know you don’t understand sweetheart, but that is okay, I will help you to. I will help you realize that what happened all those years ago does not make you a bad person, or unlovable; in fact your surviving that ordeal only makes me love you more. I know this will be a hard thing for us to get past, but like I said, I am in this 100% and I will do everything in my power to make sure you know that.

“We are going to go slow,” he stroked her hair as he continued to talk, and Abby felt herself relaxing further into him. “We are going to talk and get to know one another, and there is no pressure on you whatsoever. If by the end of the day, week, month, year, whatever-you decide you just want to be friends, I will accept that. I just want you to be happy. Okay?”

In awe of the man before her, Abby sat back and flashed him a timid smile, before leaning forward to kiss his lips, “Thank you Marcus, but I must tell you that I am much too selfish to ever ask you to leave. I can’t describe it either, but there is just something that draws me to you. It’s unfair really, I am getting this amazing man out of this, and you are getting a mess-”

“Hush Abby, I am getting everything I could ever want,” Marcus reprimanded, causing her to blush as he studied her intently.

“Now as for this Clarke issue that set you off. While I do see where you are coming from, while I do get how you can blame yourself for endangering her, I need you to remember one thing.”

“What?”

“That girl is not five anymore. She is no longer a child cowering in the corner, but a teenager who has grown into a beautiful and strong young lady. When you look at her, do not think about what could’ve happened if things had gotten worse. Think about how you did get her out, even if it was later than you would’ve liked, and think about how she is alive. Think about her smile, and the way she adores you, and the way she hugs you every morning before running off to class. She is alive and happy Abby, and she would kick your butt if she knew you were thinking about how you let her down.”

Abby giggled, and nodded wiping at her eyes as his words overwhelmed her, wondering if her tear ducts would ever be dry again, “I can do that.”

“Good,” he pressed a kiss to her brow, his smile turning shy, “Now as for you and I, I was wondering if-”

A loud banging cut off whatever he was going to say, and caused both of them to jump clean out of their skin. Cursing, Marcus looked towards the door that led into the main part of his apartment where the noise was coming from. Abby scrambled off his lap, as he made his way towards the continuous knocking, cursing about early morning visitors and making her laugh at his sudden grumpiness. Deciding she better stay back in the bedroom, in case the intruder was Sinclair or Miller, she went about slipping on her shoes as she sought out her sweatshirt. She was just reaching for the garment when a very familiar voice filled the apartment.

“Kane,” Raven practically yelled in her frantic state, “we can’t find Abby. She was in her room last night when we went to bed, and I told Clarke that one of us should’ve stayed with her, but she insisted that we needed to give her some space, and so we did, but we woke up this morning and she was gone. No note or anything. Lexa went up to the school to check if she went to do some work, and Clarke and Octavia are on the grounds trying to see if she went for a walk. I figured I would come here and see if you could help us find her, because you have investigative skills, and it is your fault she was upset to begin with and-

“Raven, I am right here,” Abby admonished, walking down the hallway to greet the rambling girl.

In an instant she was nearly toppled as the lithe creature sprinted forward and enveloped her in a hug.

“God Abby,” she whispered as she clung to her pseudo mom, “don’t do that to us! We woke up and you weren’t there and we-wait-“ She stepped back her eyes flitting from Abby, to Marcus, and to the bedroom door, before narrowing in suspicion, “Were you two having sex!?”

Sputtering, Abby shook her head, ignoring the amused look Marcus was making over the younger girls shoulder, “No! I mean we might...god...no we did not have sex last night...we just talked and then fell asleep. That’s all.”

“Oh my god!” Raven jumped around excitedly, as if Abby’s protests meant nothing to her, before bouncing towards the door, “I have to go find the others.”

Just like that she was gone, and Abby sighed heavily as she made to follow, “I hate to go Marcus, but I better go nip whatever wild stories those four will come up with in the bud.”

Flashing her an amused smile, the gloriously patient man tugged her close and bestowed a gentle kiss on her lips before guiding her to the door, “I understand, Lord knows what Raven will say.”

She was about to leave when a thought came to her, and she turned to give him a shy smile, “You know, the girls are having some friends over this evening for pizza and game night. I could really use some company to help me chaperone.”

“Why Dr. Atkinson,” he smirked, “are you asking me out on a date?”

She rolled her eyes at his teasing tone, shrugging slightly, “I guess, if you find eating pizza and making sure a group of teens don’t kill each other due to over competitiveness to be a good date, then sure.”

Marcus leaned forward and kissed her again, his ever present warm smile in place, “That sounds amazing! 6:30 good?”

“That’s perfect.”

And like that she was walking towards her house, part of her giddy with excitement over seeing Marcus later; and part of her worried over what stories she was going to have to correct when she got home.


	10. Chapter 10

“So then Octavia is really mad, and before I can stop her she is running down the street, with her dress ripped down the back, and she is just beating the mess out of the kid with her bag of candy. And this boy...who is twice her size by the way...ends up cowering on the ground, sobbing and letting a four year old beat him up.”

Everyone laughed as Bellamy Blake finished his tale on how Octavia, “‘nearly killed someone on Halloween,’ and the boy bowed dramatically as the girl in question tilted her head up in pride. “What can I say,” she interjected, “the boy ripped my costume, he needed to be taught a lesson.”

Bellamy smiled, and chucked his sister on the arm, “And you taught it to him all right. From then, until she came here, that boy cowered at the very sight of Tavia. It was hilarious.”

The group laughed again, and Marcus smiled warmly as he watched on, taking in the close-knit feel of the get together. When Abby had first told him about the “‘pizza and game night,’ he was expecting loud rambunctious teenagers running amuck around her spacious home. Instead the 13 kids (well eleven plus Raven and Wick, who were well past “‘kid’ age) were all sitting around her front parlor-stretched out on an assortment of bean bags, chairs, and sofas- sharing stories of their childhoods while they munched away on pizza. In the corner a stack of board games was set out, just waiting to be played, but at the moment no one seemed to want to bother with them.

As a lanky kid, whose name he thought was Jasper, started to tell a story about how he and his friend Monty once got busted for egging cars, Marcus stood from his seat in the back of the room and headed for the kitchen. Abby had headed that way a few minutes before, but he was afraid that following her immediately would’ve drawn too much attention. As it was, he couldn’t ignore the pointed stares of Octavia, Clarke, and Raven as he edged from the room and towards the back of the house where the open kitchen sat.

Stopping in the doorway he paused, and felt a smile tug on his lips as he watched the person he sought seated on a barstool, her head resting on Lexa’s shoulder as they whispered together. The younger girl seemed more serious than usual, and Abby looked as if she were trying to cheer her up, making goofy little faces as she talked. After a few seconds the girl smiled, which earned a beaming look from her mother, and a kiss on the head.

Suddenly feeling like he an ass for watching such an intimate family moment, Marcus went to step back down the hall, wincing when he stepped on a loose floorboard. He looked back up, and gave Abby an apologetic grin as her head swiveled around and her eyes connected with his. Neither she nor Lexa seemed to mind his entrance however, as the latter beamed up at him, and the former hopped off her barstool with her smile still in place.

“I’m going to go see what the others are up to,” she whispered, shooting him a mischievous look, “I’ll trust you two will behave yourselves in here.”

Before either adult could answer she disappeared down the hall, yelling at Clarke to share her beanbag with her. Marcus watched her go with an amused smile, before a soft sigh had him refocusing on the woman he had been seeking.

“I’m sorry about that,” Abby offered, with a roll of her eyes, “I told the girls nothing more than talking and sleeping happened last night, but they are choosing to go with Raven’s version instead. It allows for more innuendo that way.”

“It doesn’t bother me, as long as they aren’t bothered by the idea of us...you know.”

Abby snorted, and shook her head, her pony tail swinging back and forth in a hypnotic motion, “You kidding? They are over the moon! Well, maybe the idea of us actually...you know...weirds them out a bit, they are teenagers after all, and I am their mom more or less. Still, they have been all for you and I becoming “‘something’ since your first month here.”

Smiling, Marcus watched as she walked around the island, collecting empty pizza boxes and stacking them neatly, the sounds of quiet laughter drifting down the hall towards them. Stepping up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist, and nuzzled at her neck, allowing himself a moment to drown in her vanilla scent, before whispering, “I thought you needed help chaperoning tonight boss, but from what I can tell those kids don’t need babysitters. Not to mention three of them are in their 20’s.”

“Would you think less of me if I told you I just wanted you here?” she asked with a light blush painting her cheeks.

Kissing at her blush, and holding her closer he shook his head, “Nope, if anything it would make me love you more.”

She blushed deeper and squirmed until he let her turn in his embrace, her arms snaking around his neck as her eyes flitted towards the entranceway. Once she was sure the coast was clear, she leaned up and pressed her lips to his. It was a chaste kiss, over way before either wanted it to be, but was also filed with a promise for better things to come.

A smile tugged at Abby’s lips as she pulled away, one of her hands playing idly with the hair at the edge of his collar, “You don’t mind do you?”

“What? Loving you? Not one bit.”

He nipped at her lips again earning an exasperated eye roll as she dodged him, “Not that! I meant, you don’t mind being here? Tonight? I hope I didn’t take you away from something else.”

“All I had planned tonight was watching football. Being here is much better,” he insisted pushing a stray hair behind her ear.

“Really? Cause I know the kids can be a bit much and-”

“Abby,” noticing her eyes were flitting all around the room (something he was learning meant she was feeling insecure) he ducked his head and caught her attention, “There is nowhere else I’d rather be, okay?”

She nodded smiling wider, and was leaning up to kiss him again when a whistle sounded from the entranceway causing them to jump apart. Looking up Marcus saw Bellamy, Jasper and Clarke staring back at him, the latter with a slight blush on her face that mirrored her mother’s.

“Wow detective, you and the headmistress...you two are like those couples in the cheesy romances my mom likes to read.”

“God Jasper, be cool,” Bellamy hissed, nudging the kid beside him in the ribs before nodding at Abby, “we were just hoping to grab some drinks before we started playing.”

“Yeah mom,” Clarke added, “and we were wondering if you two were going to join us? We decided on Scattegories for the night.”

Abby shot Marcus an inquisitive look and he was quick to nod his approval as he offered her his arm, “Show me the way milady.”

Giggling Abby rolled her eyes and moved past him, ignoring his arm completely as she tweaked her daughter on the nose and headed for the game room. He rewarded her snub with a dramatic sigh, and made to follow when he found himself being stopped by Clarke’s penetrating stare. Marcus knew the blonde was sizing him up, and he prayed he was up to par as he stood a little taller and met her stare dead on. After a beat or two the girl’s eyes softened and she nodded gently to him, indicating he passed the test, before she moved on to the fridge.

~~~

The rest of the night moved by way too quickly for Marcus’ liking as he and Abby sat amongst the younger group, playing a game that he had no chance of winning. He ended up spending most of the night making jokes with Bellamy about how it was two average Joes against a dozen geniuses and how they should just stick to the basics like ‘Hungry Hungry Hippo.’

It was about 9:30 when Abby reluctantly announced that the kids should head home, wanting to insure they arrived safely back at their designated houses before it got to be too late. Marcus stayed back, chatting with Bellamy about the boy’s upcoming entrance exams to the police academy, his eyes occasionally shifting to gaze at Abby as she stood by the door and wished each kid a goodnight.

“Kane, can I say something that might be out of bounds?”

Turning to face the suddenly stern looking young man, Marcus nodded, “I have a feeling I couldn’t stop you even if I wanted to.”

Bellamy smiled briefly before turning serious again, his eyes flickering towards where Abby was hugging Anya, “Abby...she has done a lot for this group that was here tonight, and especially for me and Octavia. Without her I don’t know what...well we wouldn’t be near as well off as we are today. And I just need to know...”

He broke off, looking at his feet nervously as a hand rubbed at his neck and Marcus, overwhelmed by the love the kids had for the woman in question, couldn’t help but take pity on the younger man, “Listen Bellamy, I get what you are trying to ask, and I promise I am not going to hurt her okay?”

Smiling the boy nodded and held out his hand to grip Marcus’ in a firm grip, “You’re a good man Kane...but just know if you break that promise no one will find your body? Got it?”

Marcus nodded his understanding, and watched as the boy made his way to say his goodbyes, waiting until he had moved on from Abby to hug Octavia before making his own way towards the door. When he approached, Abby looked up at him with a shy smile, before taking his hand and pulling him towards the kitchen and out onto the deck that faced his apartment.

Kissing the hand in his, Marcus made to say goodnight when Abby lunged at him and captured his mouth in a passionate kiss. Moaning he let his arms wrap tightly around her, bringing her closer as they stumbled a bit before his back found purchase against the railing of the porch. One of her hands moved up from where they were gripping his shirt, finding the hair she so loved to play with and giving it a tug. Groaning again, Marcus nipped at her bottom lip before pulling back, smiling as she pouted up at him.

“Abigail, you have four daughters inside who would probably not be too thrilled to see us carrying on like this.”

“I guess you’re right,” she mumbled and his smile grew at her petulant tone, “no need to scar them.”

Leaning forward he kissed her temple, savoring her scent one more time before backing away reluctantly, “How about next Friday I take you to dinner, just the two of us?”

“Sounds perfect.”

Nodding in excitement at her acceptance, Marcus turned to head towards his place before turning suddenly and crushing her to him in a tight hug.

“I love you,” he whispered fiercely, brushing his lips against her crown, “so much.”

Then before she could respond he was off again, praying that the week moved quickly, because Friday couldn’t come soon enough


	11. Chapter 11

Walking into her office Monday morning, Abby froze in the doorway upon finding Diana sitting at the chair beside her desk, twirling the rose from Marcus in her hand. Biting back a groan, she plastered her most pleasant smile on her face and moved to take her spot in the seat across from the intruder, plucking the rose from her hand as she passed her.

“Good morning Diana, to what do I owe this visit?” She asked as she returned the flower to the vase by her keyboard.

“Oh, I just wanted to catch up, it has been so long since we last had any type of heart to heart.”

Abby raised her eyebrow at the blonde, her smile turning into more of a smirk, “I don’t think we have ever had a heart to heart.”

It was no secret that Diana was not her biggest fan, in fact she had made it very clear that she had no love for the headmistress from the moment she started working there ten years prior. Rumor had it that she had been the shoe in for the position before Abby arrived, and had been shocked when a stranger had waltzed in and taken the job. Since then Diana had always been nothing but outwardly civil with her boss, but there was always an insincerity that lurked beneath her smiling facade that left Abby’s skin crawling. And never had Diana sought her out for anything more than a school related topic, so to have her sitting in her office acting like they were best friends raised quite a few alarm bells.

Diana didn’t seem to notice the unease she was causing, and completely ignored her boss’ comment as she waved at the rose she had been playing with, “Who is the admirer?”

The alarms in Abby’s head began to ring louder, her smile tight, “Clarke. She cut it from the garden for me last week. Said I needed more color in my life, I guess that is the artist in her.”

She didn’t know why she was lying. She had already determined that she and Marcus were not going to be some scandalous secret affair. There were no other people in his department so to speak, and so there could be zero ground for someone to say he had an unfair advantage in his job by dating her; and besides that she owned the school. That was not something anyone but the board knew, and it was not a card she played often, but as she lay in bed the night before she decided she would play it in this scenario if need be. She was not going to let her job or Marcus’ ruin what they were forming; they had enough against them already.

Still, she couldn’t stop herself from hiding the origins of the rose from Diana. The woman had a tendency to taint everything, and Abby wanted to enjoy the newness of her relationship with Marcus before that inevitably happened. The truth would come out and then they could deal with snide comments and innuendo.

It seemed however that Diana was ahead of the game a bit as she cocked her head and eyed Abby with a suspicious look. Then just as quickly she leaned forward and the sickeningly sweet smile was back on her face as her eyebrows danced suggestively, “I saw you dancing with Kane the other night, how was that? I have a feeling it was simply a dream.”

“It was okay, just a dance.” Her attempt at nonchalance failed utterly as the memory of being secure in Marcus’ arms left her feeling a little flushed. Diana smiled wider, taking on a more predatory look as she leaned forward a bit in her chair, and it took all of Abby’s will power not to slap the woman.

“You don’t have to play coy with me. Trust me when I say that man is a fine specimen, I just want to make sure you are careful.”

Despite her inner voice screaming at her not to take the bait, Abby couldn’t help but tilt her head in confusion at the woman’s words, “Careful?”

“Well yes dear,” Diana cooed in a way similar to how Abby used to explain things to a five year old Clarke, “He is a man in his forties who has never been married. He screams of chronic bachelor, you know the type-he will woo a woman, tell her what she wants to hear, and then once he gets bored of her he moves on. Not really the type for settling down with a woman, especially one with four kids. You do still consider the three orphan girls to be your kids, right?”

Bristling Abby sat up straighter, all pretenses of pleasantness slipping from her face. Diana was making some interesting points, but she would not allow herself to believe them, “Yes they are all my daughters, but you’re wrong about Marcus. He isn’t like that.”

“Isn’t he?” Diana countered, her smile smug, “Abby darling, you are too old to be this naive. I am not going to sit here and argue with you about something that is so blatantly obvious. I just thought I should warn you. One shouldn’t trust a man like that so easily.”

“Well consider me warned;” Abby snarled, “now I would appreciate you getting back to work, and minding your own business from this point forward.”

Diana only smiled a little wider, and Abby knew that the woman was aware she had struck a nerve, which only made her angrier. As soon as the blonde had disappeared from the office she stood and paced furiously across the plush carpet in front of her desk. Anger at being made to feel like a fool boiled in her veins and without thinking she picked up a book that was sitting on the edge of her desk and threw it at the nearest wall with frustrated growl.

“Abby?”

Startling she turned to find Marcus watching her from the doorway, an eyebrow arched as he took in her seething stance and panting breaths.

“Marcus, hey,” she whispered blushing furiously at being discovered in her rage, “What are you doing here?”

He smiled cautiously, his eye darting to the book that now lay sprawled on the floor before stepping closer to her. He pulled one of his hands from behind his back and she let out a dazed little “oh” as she eyed the cup of coffee in his hand.

“I made a Starbucks run this morning; a little birdie told me you had an intense love affair with Vanilla Lattes.”

Her anger all forgotten, she giggled and took the cup from him sipping from it appreciatively, “And which birdie was this?”

“I’m not sure actually,” he pulled out his phone and showed her a text, “I don’t have the number programmed in my phone.”

Abby studied the last four digits of the number in question and smirked, “That would be Octavia. Even without the number I can tell from the excessive amount of punctuations.”

“Yeah, I wondered. I don’t see the others finding it necessary to end a sentence with 17 exclamation points.”

Abby took a moment to study the man as he fiddled with his phone, programing Octavia’s name in it for future reference, and her heart warmed at the gesture. Marcus was not a man who was in this for one thing, Diana was wrong about that. No man would go through the crazy that was dealing with her kids’ antics or put up with the drama she brought to the table just for a little bit of sex. Especially a man like Marcus.

“So, do you want to tell me what that was all about?”

Startling from her thoughts, Abby followed Marcus’ gaze as it focused once again on the book she had thrown and guilt instantly gnawed at her subconscious. Deciding it was best not to tell him how badly she had doubted him for a minute she just shrugged, and waved her hand casually, “Oh, it was nothing important. I was just having a frustrating morning. You made it better though.” She ended her stammering with a raise of her cup and took another sip before smiling up at him brightly.

Marcus studied her, and for a moment she feared he was going to question her more, but instead he just smiled warmly at her and leaned down to kiss her softly on the corner of her mouth, “Well I am glad I can help, and if you need to vent some more later feel free to come find me. I am always willing to listen.”

She nodded in agreement, and waved him off to go about his morning patrols, her heart near overflowing from the way he smiled at her one last time as he exited with a boyish wink. As the door shut behind him, she relaxed in her chair and closed her eyes; a prayer of thanks spilling from her lips as she thought about how wrong Diana was about him, followed by a prayer for forgiveness for her doubts.

~~~

By the time Friday night rolled around if any doubts sowed by Diana hadn’t already been pushed from her mind, the look on Marcus’ face when she descended the stairs would have surely done it. Never in her life had Abby ever recalled anyone looking at her with such a mix of awe and adoration, and it was enough to make her look away as a blush reached across her cheeks. She was acutely aware of the girls standing in the archway that led from the foyer to the living room watching the scene intently, and that only made her blush harder. She made a mental note to talk with them later about at least tempting to be subtle.

Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, she looked up through her lashes at Marcus, biting at her lower lip as she self-consciously smoothed out her dress- a form fitting red number with long sleeves made of lace that ended just above her knees. She took in his dress slacks with a white button down that was slightly undone at the collar exposing a tantalizing bit of his skin, and shifted in her high heels feeling like she had perhaps overdressed. Marcus must have read her thoughts because he tucked a finger under her chin and pulled her head up to meet his eyes, his smile growing warmer, “You look absolutely beautiful Abby.”

Ignoring the chorus of “awes” floating from the doorway, Abby grinned brightly and kissed his cheek, her fingers teasing at the skin of his chest, “You look pretty amazing yourself. How’d I get so lucky?”

“Oh lord, this is getting a little gross,” Octavia muttered, turning to flop on the couch behind her, signaling she was done with the show.

Clarke rolled her eyes and stepped forward, handing Abby her black pea coat, “Ignore Tavia, she is just jealous because you are going on a nice date, and Lincoln blew her off to go to a hockey game with John and Finn.”

Marcus smiled, and called over to the pouting teen on the couch, “I’ll find a reason to give him detention next week to make it up to you.”

Octavia shot him a toothy grin, while Abby smacked him playfully on the chest and flashed him her best ‘behave’ look that had him grinning from ear to ear.

“Enough chit chat,” Raven interrupted, folding her arms as she stared Marcus down, “We expect that you will be treating Abs with the utmost respect tonight. Nothing less, do you understand?”

Shifting nervously on his feet, Marcus gave a quick nod and Abby had to bite back a laugh at how he seemed to be so easily cowed by the petite girl in front of him.

“She will be treated like a queen,” he whispered, his eyes shifting from Raven’s to Abby’s, his expression making the older woman’s stomach churn in an extremely pleasant way.

Raven kept up her serious facade for about two more seconds, before her face broke out in her trademark sass-master grin, and she slapped him on the back, “Good man, and feel free to keep her out as long as you like. Just make sure she is back by no later than 9am to make us breakfast.”

Abby startled at the implications, but before she could protest Lexa and Clarke were pushing the two adults out of the house with a chorus of “Good night” and “Have fun” before slamming the door behind them.

“I am so sorry about them Marcus,” Abby moaned, tipping her head towards the door, “they can be a little much at times.”

Reaching out, he grabbed her hand and kissed it tenderly as he led them down the steps, “They don’t bother me a bit, in fact I am just relieved to know they think I am good enough.”

“It wouldn’t matter if they didn’t; I think your good enough.”

He smiled at her words as he continued to guide her, and it was only then that Abby realized they were heading towards the school. She was about to ask where they were going when he paused and studied her contemplatively before bending to reach for her feet. She let out a little squeak as he lifted one, and had to grab onto his shoulder lest she lose her balance.

“Marcus what are you doing?”

He gave her a wicked little smile and removed her shoe, before reaching for her other foot to do the same. Then standing, the heels firmly in hand, he began to lead her across the lawn once more.

“It is a bit of a walk, I didn’t want your feet to get sore.”

“We are walking to our date?” She gave him an incredulous look that only had him grinning wider.

She wanted to ask for more details, but she had a feeling he wanted to keep some levels of secrecy so she kept quiet as they neared the school and then veered off towards the gardens. He led her along the rows of flowers, his eyes moving to watch her every few seconds. She had to admit his boyish excitement was both adorable and thrilling, making her quake with anticipation of what was to come.

She didn’t have to wait too long, for as they turned a corner that led to the fountain in the center of the garden her eyes fell upon a picnic blanket that had been laid out beside the marble structure. On top of it was a basket that appeared to be brimming with all sorts of food, and wine; while a stereo sat nearby playing soft orchestra music.

“I know it is a little cheesy, but I thought a picnic under the stars would be nice. Especially with the weather having cooled down.”

“It isn’t cheesy at all!” Abby turned and threw her arms around his neck, smiling up at him as tears filled her eyes. This man was too perfect. “It is absolutely amazing! I love it!”

Marcus grinned, and bent to kiss her before leading her to the blanket and helping her sit before going about unpacking the basket. At first they said little as they worked together to lay out cheese, crackers, fruit, and sandwiches; and Marcus poured each of them a glass of wine. Then as they sipped from the glasses, and devoured the delicious meal, they fell into their usual lunch routine of talking about anything that popped into their minds.

Abby wasn’t sure how long they sat there talking about the antics of certain students, issues she was facing with the board, and Lexa’s sudden decision to become a lawyer; but eventually the food was gone and they pushed aside the dishes to lay beside each other and look up at the stars.

“When I was a kid I wanted to go to space,” she whispered as she studied the constellations above her head.

“Really?”

“Yeah, I would read about the moon landing, or other trips up there and I thought it would be so cool. I have always wondered what it would be like to be amongst the stars. But then,” she sighed, and tucked a hair behind her ear self-consciously, “I got into my head that being a doctor would be better. Then maybe my dad would…I don’t know…”

Marcus squeezed her hand gently to encourage her to continue but she shook thoughts of her father away and turned to give him a watery smile, “Did you always want to be in law enforcement?”

He studied her for a moment, then apparently deciding to take her deflection for what it was, he turned back to look at the sky, “Actually, I was going to be a minister.”

“What?” She winced at the shock lacing her voice, but he didn’t seem to mind, he just chuckled before he continued.

“Yeah, my mom, she was a Methodist minister for a church in Arlington, and I grew up watching her lead her people and I wanted to follow in her footsteps. It was just her and me, my dad died in a car accident when I was a baby, and she was all the example I had in the world. She was the best example I had in this world. She was so generous, and caring, and if she could help someone she would. She was a lot like you in that way.”

He trailed off, closing his eyes to compose himself, before smiling shyly at her, “Sorry, I haven’t talked about her in a while.”

Abby rolled on her side, and reached out to run a hand along his arm soothingly, “It doesn’t bother me; heaven knows you have dealt enough with my emotions. The least I can do is return the favor.” She moved closer, and tangled their fingers together as she timidly rested her head on his shoulder, relieved when he seemed fine with the arrangement. More than fine with it, if the kiss he pressed to her hair was any indication.

Smiling to herself, she snuggled even closer before asking him to continue with his story, “If you want to, of course,” she added not wanting to push him.

Marcus squeezed her hand, and sighed, “My mom had a benevolence program in her church that provided gas, food, clothes, and other needs to people who requested it. Her only condition was that those who came seeking the help had to attend one church service per gift. Most people accepted the terms, but there were times when they didn’t and she would give them a few chances before denying them help anymore. She hated doing it, but she had to put her foot down.”

He paused briefly, taking another deep breath before plowing on, “One man came three times and took money from her, and three times he did not show up for church. The fourth time he came she turned him down and he grew angry...he..he had a knife and well...”

Sensing his emotions getting the better of him, Abby sat up on an elbow and pressed her lips to his cheek, kissing away his tears as he had done nearly a week ago.

“Shhh Marcus, you don’t have to tell me anymore. It’s okay.”

He shook his head, and turned to kiss her briefly before tugging her to rest on his shoulder again, “I’m fine, I want you to know what made me who I am.” He kissed her head again and continued, “The man was arrested, but a technical error meant he was never convicted. That didn’t sit well with me, and I found I had two options: I could track the man down and seek my own justice; or I could join up with the law and try to make sure errors like that didn’t happen again. I went with the latter.”

“Smart choice,” Abby whispered.

“It was, and I never once had any criminal go free because of an error I made, but there were a lot of times when I wondered if I should’ve gone with the third unspoken option of continuing in my path of being a part of the ministry. I often wondered if my mom looked down on me and was disappointed because I steered off the path she had wanted me to take.”

“Marcus,” Abby sat up and tugged him into a sitting position before wrapping her arms around him, “I didn’t know the woman, but if she was anywhere as kind and good as you described her to be, there is no doubt in my mind that she is proud of you. First off you didn’t go with your instinct to kill her killer; second you did a lot of good in your career, you helped a lot of people, how could she not be proud of that?”

Marcus pressed his face into her neck as she stroked his hair, his arms clinging to her as if she were anchoring him to the spot, “Thank you Abby.” He pulled back slightly and kissed her gently on the mouth before resting his head against hers, “I know one thing: if she is watching me now, in this job, in this place that really does so much for kids like Lincoln, and Lexa, and Anya...if she saw this she would most definitely be proud.”

He paused and nuzzled their noses together, his eyes locking with hers in a way that made Abby’s heart overflow with warmth, “And she would be really proud of me for picking someone as amazing as you to love.”

Before she could overthink it, Abby leaned forward and kissed him as passionately as she could, desperate to recreate the intensity they had captured the week before. Marcus seemed to be of the same mind, as he fell back against the blanket, his lips never leaving hers, and tugged at her until she was draped almost completely on top of him. He broke away for a just a moment to study her face, but before she could ask him what he was doing, he grabbed her neck and pulled her back down to capture her mouth again.

After a few minutes Abby pulled back, and rested her head on his chest as she caught her breath, the passion this man ignited in her making her head spin.

“Are you okay?” he asked rubbing her back, “I know that was a lot for me to drop on you and-”

Her head shot up, and she kissed him to get him to stop talking, before smiling gently at him, “I am glad you told me that bit of you, I want you to share everything with me, just as you want me to do the same. This is not going to be a one sided deal mister. I share, you share. Got it?”

He nodded, “Yes boss, got it.”

Giggling, she kissed him again, before sitting up, “Now, I want you to take me home.”

“Oh..okay..yeah, just let me get this mess cleaned up.” He reached for the plates sitting scattered on the blanket, and Abby could have kicked herself when she realized he misunderstood her meaning. She grabbed his hand to gain his attention, and then moved to cup his face.

“I don’t want you to take me to my home, but yours.”

For a moment he seemed confused, but then he realized what she was implying and his eyes went wide in shock as he shook his head, “Abby, I promised you we would go slowly. Please don’t feel rushed sweetheart.”

She kissed him, finding this was becoming her favorite way to get his attention, and pulled back to level a no-nonsense stare at him, “Please Marcus.”

“Are you sure because-”

“I have never been more sure of anything,” she insisted.

He studied her face for a moment, and then to her great relief he nodded and kissed her tenderly, “Well then, how can I refuse?”


	12. Chapter 12

Abby was trembling.

That was the first thing Marcus noticed as they entered his apartment, and he placed a hand on the small of her back to guide her towards living room. She flashed him a sure smile as they moved to sit on the couch, but there was no mistaking the nervous glint in her eye or the way her body seemed to be vibrating with tension.

Sitting beside her his body screamed at him to just grab the woman up in his arms and do things to her that up until this point he had only dreamed about. However the quaking nervousness that seemed to suddenly be emanating from her gave him pause, and he instead took one of her hands gently in his as he gave her what he hoped was a reassuring look.

“We don’t have to do this tonight Abby. I know you said you wanted to, but if you changed your mind I would understand. I can wait as long as you need me to.”

“I want to do this,” she insisted, sounding sure despite the tremor he felt in her hand, “don’t...don’t you?”

Leaning forward he brushed a chaste kiss against her lips before nodding, “More than anything, it’s just that you seem a little apprehensive.”

She deflated a bit at his words, her free hand moving to tuck her hair behind her ear, “I was hoping you wouldn’t notice.” Her eyes moved back up to connect with his, and his heart clenched at the mixture of love, desire, and fear that swirled in the brown orbs, “I want this just as much as you do Marcus, I am just...I um...I haven’t done this in ten years.”

Schooling his features to hide his shock, Marcus mentally kicked himself. He should have realized that was the case, given everything she had shared, and he hadn’t even thought to broach the subject with her. Then again, he wouldn’t have known exactly how to do that, but he still shouldn’t have assumed that despite her saying she was ready that she would be apprehension free. Ten years was a long time to go without sex, and if he were in her shoes he would be a nervous wreck as well.

He lifted her hand and kissed at her fingertips, his eyes never leaving hers, “I know this might be a little scary, but it is all in your hands. We will go as slow as you need to, and if you want to stop we will.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” she whispered, looking away again, “I am worried that I will disappoint you.”

He knew it probably wasn’t the best reaction to have, but Marcus couldn’t help the laugh that escaped his lips at her words. When her eyes shot back to his, filled with hurt, he cursed himself and used his grip on her hand to tug her closer, bestowing a kiss on her hairline as he stroked her back.

“Abby, you crazy woman, there is no possible way I could ever be disappointed by you. Especially in this situation. I can promise you that.”

“Really?” She tucked her head into his chest, and eyed him from beneath her lashes in a way that caused him to groan slightly. How could this woman not know how incredibly sexy she was, even when she was doing something as simple as _looking_ at him? It was ridiculous.

“Really,” he insisted, pulling her head up towards his as he leaned in, kissing her gently.

She moaned against his lips, pressing against him earnestly as if all her fears were forgotten. Smiling at her actions Marcus pulled back and moved to push some of her hair from her face, his hand cupping her cheek, waiting for her to make the next move.

She didn’t disappoint as she grinned shyly, and asked him if they could move to the bedroom. Gulping he nodded, and stood from the couch tugging her to follow him down the short hallway and into his room. Once there he turned to face her and pulled her in for another kiss causing her to stand on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck, making them as close as they could possibly get.

His arms around her waist, Marcus moved them backwards until his legs hit his bed, and he plopped down, pulling Abby to stand between his knees. She smiled down at him, her fingers sliding in his hair as she studied him, and he instinctively knew she was waiting to see what to do next.

He smiled up at her, and keeping eye contact he slowly began to undo the buttons of his shirt, pushing the garment off his shoulders and tossing it somewhere behind him. As his chest was bared Abby’s eyes scanned over it hungrily, her tongue sliding along her lips, her fingers dancing across his upper arms and down across his rib cage. Marcus groaned at her delicate touch and grabbed for one of her hands, pressing it against where his heart was beating wildly. His other hand reached up and wrapped around her waist, guiding her to sit on his good leg so he could kiss her yet again.

“I love you Abby,” he whispered moving from her lips and down her jaw and throat with soft, yet passionate open mouth kisses. She moaned as he hit a particularly sensitive spot where her neck joined her shoulder, and he smiled and kissed her there again and again. Squirming she grabbed his hair and tugged him up, capturing his mouth against hers in a quick kiss before she stood from his lap.

For a moment he just looked at her in confusion, but then she locked eyes with him, and slowly reached back to unzip her dress and his mind quickly caught up. Marcus couldn’t look away as she pulled her arms from the lace sleeves of the garment and began pushing it down her body, swishing her hips to help encourage it to fall in a pool of red fabric around her feet. As he watched her kick the dress away he quickly let his eyes rake up over her bared flesh and felt as if all the air had been sucked from him.

He knew Abby was beautiful, but to see her standing before him in nothing but a tiny black thong and matching lace bra was something his brain could not seem to handle. In this moment she far surpassed beautiful and had traversed into the realm of goddess, and all he could do was gape at her in admiration. Of course, Abby must not have seen his unblinking stare as good thing as she self-consciously shifted from foot to foot, her eyes dropping to look away from him as the blush he was becoming so familiar with crept up her cheeks.

Seeing her actions, Marcus shook the cobwebs from his brain and stood, taking both her hands in his and kissing them before skimming his fingers up along her arms and around to the clasp of her bra. He made eye contact with her, and when she nodded her permission he grinned and flicked the hook between his fingers, smiling when the strapless article fell to the floor. Kissing her gently he wrapped an arm around her and lifted her as he lowered them to the bed, and crawled up to deposit her on the pillows. Once he made sure she was comfortable, he placed another kiss on her lips before moving down to kiss along the swell of her breasts.

Moaning softly, Abby shifted beneath him, her fingers skimming through his hair as he kissed around the perfect orbs, his breath teasing at her nipples as he worked. After a few seconds of this she grew impatient, and with a loud moan and a rough tug on his hair she had him moving to suck one of the pink morsels into his mouth. He smiled to himself as she cried out, and sucked her gently, his tongue teasing the tip of her nipple, his hands moving to steady her hips as they bucked beneath him. He pulled away from her with a small “‘pop’ and quickly moved to her neglected breast to bestow the same treatment upon it. Abby groaned louder and he looked up at her, growing hard at the look of her head thrown back, her eyes squeezed shut as she panted wildly.

“Marcus,” she gasped, “please...I...please.”

Pulling away he moved up to kiss her, his hand drifting down to rub at her core through the lace of her thong. “I know baby, I know,” he cooed as she sobbed in pleasure against his lips, “I got you sweetheart, I know what you need.”

His fingers moved to push aside the fabric hindering him from touching her fully, a moan escaping him as he felt how hot and wet she was, “Jesus Abby, you feel amazing.”

Her only answer was a moan, as she ground against his fingers, one of her hands coming up to squeeze at her breasts, and by god if that wasn’t the sexiest thing he had ever seen. Suddenly the irritating tightness of his slacks became unbearable, and he pulled away regrettably and stood to dispose of them. From her spot on the bed, Abby watched him with hooded eyes; her little whimpers pushing him to move faster as he undid his belt and went to work on the pants. Soon his pants and boxers were pushed to the floor and kicked away to join his other clothes, and Abby scrambled to push her thong down, smiling her thanks as he grabbed it and tossed it behind him.

As soon as he had removed the last of his clothes, Marcus moved to return to his position over the woman stretched out below him, but she quickly shifted to the left and onto her knees. Smiling saucily (a look he instantly adored on her) Abby shoved him onto his back and straddled his shins, her hands tracing along his thighs as her eyes drank him in. When she got to the mass of twisted tissue on his right leg she froze briefly and studied the area, her eyes scrunched in concentration. For a moment all of his sexual desire was forgotten as he saw the doctor Abby had once been shining through and his heart ached for the life she had lost. Then just as quickly he remembered who she had become in the absence of her old career, and what she was doing in the here and now, and the ache was gone. Replaced with his usual awe for the woman.

Abby seemed to have not noticed his interchanging thoughts as she continued to inspect his old injury, her fingers tracing each line of scar tissue as if she could will it to heal. Looking up at her, he noticed the saucy demeanor was gone and replaced with the gentle one she used earlier as he talked about his mom. “I am surprised you don’t walk around with a limp with an injury like this.”

He shrugged self-consciously not wanting to admit how much he worked to hide the little limp he did have out of foolish pride. As if reading his thoughts Abby pushed herself up on her knees and leaned forward, a hand placed on either side of his head and her hair tickling the edges of his face, “If you ever need a doctor to give you a full inspection,” she whispered huskily, “Just let me know.”

Laughing at the innuendo he pulled her down for a kiss, a moan passing between them as her breasts rubbed against his naked chest driving all playfulness from the room. Sitting up Abby looked around as if contemplating something, and then climbed off him.

“Sit up against the headboard,” she demanded and he was quick to comply so as not to discourage the confidence she was showing. As soon as he was where she wanted him, Abby moved into his lap, brushing her heated center against his member, making them both gasp with pleasure. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed her face against his shoulder and continued to move against him.

“Is this position okay?” Her voice was an unsure whisper and he smiled gently against her hair as he nodded.

“It is perfect sweetheart.”

Shifting she pressed more urgently against him, and he reached down to help position them refusing to push. “You set the pace Abby,” he moaned, “take your time.”

She nodded and slowly pushed down eliciting a moan from both of them as he entered her. She paused, panting, and clung to him tighter, while he wrapped his arms around her waist and tried to think of anything other than how good she felt wrapped around his cock. For a few seconds they sat there like that as Abby adjusted to the long forgotten feelings, and then just as he thought his brain was going to explode with anticipation she began moving again, rocking her hips as she took more and more of him into her.

“Marcus,” she whimpered over and over as she moved, “Marcus...Marcus...Marcus.” Her chant was like a pounding drum in his head, and he turned his focus on the breathy little whimpers that followed each utterance, his heart pounding at the pure pleasure that laced her voice.

Suddenly Abby shifted one last time, and with a roll of her hips she sunk down to take every inch of him into her, a cry of pleasure bursting from her. Marcus grinned wildly at the action, both from the feeling of her so tight and warm around him, and from the new knowledge that the usually put together woman was _loud_ in the bedroom.

Moving to pull her back some, he ran his hands through her hair, tangling his fingers in the silky strands as he kissed her passionately. He pulled back, not releasing her hair, and placed kisses all over her face as she rocked against him.

“I love you so much sweetheart,” he crooned, his lips brushing over every inch of skin he could reach, “You feel fucking incredible. So fucking tight. God baby, you are driving me wild.”

She beamed at him, and moved a little faster, using his chest for purchase as she moved back and forth and then rolled her hips in a full circle. “Tell me again,” she begged as she continued to repeat her mind-blowing movements.

It took him a moment to grasp what she was asking, but when it clicked he smiled and pulled her close to whisper in her ear, “I love you.”

At his words Abby moaned low and deep and he marveled at the feel of her inner muscles twitching. Hearing those words did it for her, and he would be damned if he would deny her such pleasure.

“I love you Abby. More than that, I adore you, I worship you. You are so precious, and I will spend every waking moment showing you how much. I love you. I love you. I love you.”

By this point Abby was nearly sobbing with pleasure and her movements had become so sporadic that he was forced to let go of her hair and grab her hips to help steady her. She accepted the help with a grateful moan, and fell forward against his chest, her arms wrapped around his back as she let him guide their movements.

Knowing she was close, he moved her back and forth faster, grinding his own hips up to increase the pressure between them, his lips skimming over the arch of her ear as he continued to talk to her.

“I love you Abby,” he repeated again, amazed that she seemed to becoming even tighter around him, “I have loved you from the very first moment I saw you. You are perfect. My perfect Abby.”

“Yours,” she whimpered her head buried in his shoulder as they neared their individual peaks, “I like that. I like that I’m yours.”

Marcus groaned as she rolled her hips a little faster, and dug his fingers into her hips as his brain started to go numb, “God baby, yes you are mine, and I am yours. For as long as you want me to be.”

“Forever,” she whimpered, her arms wrapping back around his neck as he took over for her some more, “I need this forever. Please.”

Nodding he wrapped an arm around her waist, the rocking of his hips gentling as his other arm snaked up so he could wrap his hand in her hair again. Tipping her head back, he moaned at the fire burning in her eyes, and dove in for a kiss that would’ve taken his breath away if he had any left. “Forever,” he whispered when they broke apart, both panting, “I promise sweetheart.”

His words must have been the final straw for no sooner had he uttered them did Abby cry out, her whole body stiffening, her arms slipping from his neck and leaving her to scramble for something to anchor to. Cooing Marcus held her tighter, rocking her gently through the waves of pleasure, but after a moment or two of the fluttering movements against his cock he too was falling into the abyss.

He wasn’t sure if he blacked out from pleasure or not, but it seemed one minute he was having the best orgasm of his life, and the next he was opening his eyes to find Abby laying fully against him, her body completely limp as she panted against his chest. The sweat that lingered on her skin seemed to be causing a chill, so he quickly went to move them under the blankets, only to have her shake her head and cling to him tighter.

“Please Marcus, just hold me like this a little longer.”

Not able to refuse, he nodded, and tucked his arms around her kissing her forehead in response to her moan of contentment. After a few minutes she stirred just enough to look up at him, and the smile on her face warmed his cooling body. “Hey you,” he whispered, making her giggle.

“That was absolutely incredible,” she responded pressing even closer as if she were trying to crawl into his skin, “Thank you.”

 “Trust me the pleasure was all mine.”

His retort caused another giggle to escape her lips, and Marcus marveled that she was even more adorable in this state of post coital bliss. Still, the room was getting chillier, and despite their being wrapped around one another, the shivers coursing over Abby’s body showed she was feeling it. Without letting so much as a sliver of air get through them, Marcus twisted and shifted until he was on his back, Abby laying lethargically atop his body; before he pulled his heavy quilt over them.

“Is this good?” he asked rubbing her back.

“Mhmm,” was her sleepy response, “as long as you don’t mind me on top of you.”

“Mind? Hell, you can stay right here for the rest of your life and I wouldn’t bat an eyelash.”

“That would be heavenly, but I doubt the girls or the school would appreciate that,” she mumbled and he arched his neck to find her almost completely asleep.

Overwhelmed by the feelings of the moment, and all the moments that preceded it, Marcus couldn’t help but pull her even closer and whisper, “I love you sweetheart.” He closed his eyes to fall asleep as well, only to have them snap open again when Abby shifted slightly and kissed  above his heart.

“I love you too.”


	13. Chapter 13

A few hours after she had dozed off, Abby stirred and cast a look at the clock on the bedside table, groaning to see it was a little after 3am. A part of her wondered if she should head back to her house, but given that the girls would already know what she had been up to, she decided she would much rather stay draped over Marcus’ chest. That is until she shifted a little more, and grimaced, suddenly aware that she could really use a shower after their earlier escapades. With a roll of her eyes she could just picture the reaction the girls would have if they found out she had gone to bed with Marcus, and not practiced any of the safety precautions she was always drilling in their heads.

_“You didn’t use a condom Abs? Don’t you know what could happen without protection!?”_

Ravens voice floated through her mind and she sighed, burying her face into the smooth plain of Marcus’ chest as she contemplated waking him before she slipped off to his bathroom to clean up. She didn’t really have time to think on it though, before a hand came up to glide along her lower back, causing her to jump.

Lifting her head, Abby found Marcus staring up at her, a sleepy smile on his face, and her heart warmed at how adorable he looked in his waking moments. Leaning up she kissed his lips softly, one of her hands moving to glide through his tussled hair.

“Do you need to leave?” He asked with a pout as he continued to draw patterns along her spine.

“No, but I do need a shower, if you don’t mind?”

Nodding knowingly, he kissed her head and let her go, watching as she scrambled off the bed. Abby was suddenly very aware of her nakedness, and she couldn’t help the blush that traveled over her skin as she felt Marcus’ eyes burning into her flesh. She quickly looked around for a thing to cover up with, but was stopped by a hand wrapping around her wrist, and a kiss being pressed to her shoulder. How he had gotten out of bed so quickly was a mystery to her, but Abby automatically relaxed as Marcus pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her waist, his lips traveling up her shoulder and to her ear.

“You don’t have to be shy or uncomfortable around me sweetheart,” he whispered, and she shivered as the endearment she was growing to love left his lips, “I don’t know if I mentioned this earlier, but you are by far the most gorgeous woman I have ever laid eyes on.”

Her blush grew, and she turned in his arms to look up at him skeptically, only to find a humbling admiration shining through his eyes that made her think that perhaps he really believed what he was saying. Then she remembered the line of scars running up her arm, and she subtly shifted the limb to hide them against her body. She believed Marcus loved her, there was no doubt in her mind about that, but she couldn’t believe that she was the _most_ beautiful woman in his life, not when she had very obvious physical flaws.

Marcus must have noticed her movements, because his brow furrowed and he reached to grab at her right arm, but Abby, not wanting to think about the scars at that moment, pulled back and allowed what she hoped was a teasing smile to form on her lips.

“Want to join me? I always have such trouble washing my back.”

Studying her for a second, he looked as if he was about to protest, but then he moved forward and grabbed at her waist, lifting her so he could press his lips to hers as he walked them into his bathroom.

That was how they ended up under the hot spray of his shower a few minutes later; all thoughts of getting clean pushed from their minds as Marcus pressed Abby into the wall and kissed her hungrily. As their lips fought for control one of his hands slipped between her thighs, and she nearly bit his tongue as his talented fingers stroked her in just the right place. Wrenching her mouth from his, she let her head fall back against the tiles, groaning deeply as he pressed one, and then two fingers into her core, his thumb running along her bundle of nerves.

“Jesus,” she whimpered, as he curled his fingers, and she was pretty sure she would have fallen to the ground if it weren’t for him holding her up securely.

Marcus smirked at her obvious pleasure, and kept moving his fingers in a curved motion, as his mouth lowered to kiss around one of her nipples in a teasing fashion. Whimpering turned to an onslaught of moans as he continued to go about his business, and Abby could only cling to his head, her hands tugging at his hair while she lost herself to the feelings he was provoking. Then just before she was about to rise to her highest pleasure point, he pulled back, one of his arms circling around her waist to pull her closer, a knee sliding between her legs and pressing against her center, and his free hand grabbing her right arm and tugging it up for him to look at.

Abby let out a whine of protest, but he shushed her gently, and pressed his leg into her, causing the whine to turn to yet another moan. As he continued the friction, he brought the arm even closer and she watched as his eyes slowly traveled from scar to scar, his look unreadable. Her heart thrummed from both pleasure and fear, its focus split from the pleasure he was giving her, and the worry that the scars would be too much of deal breaker for him.

She didn’t have long to think over his actions though, because after what felt like an eternity (but was more like three seconds) he bent his head and kissed from scar to scar, his eyes never leaving hers. The love that shone from him in that moment made Abby’s knees grow weaker and tears to spring to her eyes.

“Marcus,” she breathed unable to think of another thing to say.

He shushed her again, and reached out to kiss the last scar, located just above her elbow, before he moved to kiss her lips.

“You’re beautiful Abby,” he whispered against her mouth, biting her lip gently when she went to protest. “You are beautiful. And no scar is going to change that. In fact, I think they make you even more so because they tell me where you have been and what you have been through. They remind me that you have been hurt, but that you still trust me enough to hold you and love you, and that is the most wonderful gift anyone could have ever given me. Don’t doubt your beauty in my eyes sweetheart, because I promise you that I think you are absolutely gorgeous.”

Abby felt tears pool in her eyes at his words, and she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as she rested her cheek against his, “Marcus, I need you right now.”

He smiled warmly, “I would love that Abs, but the logistics of shower sex are not in my favor.” He indicated his leg and the scar tissue on his thigh, his smile dimming a bit.

Abby bit her lip and thought for a moment before, she stepped back and waved at the floor of the tub, “Sit down, I can do the rest.”

Rolling his eyes, Marcus did as he was told, his hands coming up to guide her as she moved to straddle his hips, “One of these days I would really like to be in control.”

“We’ll see,” she smirked, and was about to lower herself down further, when her thoughts from earlier came flying back into her mind. “Do we need a condom?”

Stilling, Marcus looked at her, and her heart stopped as she saw the regret dance across his face. What if he wasn’t clean? Or what if he thought she was a risk? Was he going to be mad at her for not asking sooner? She was on the verge of panic, and ready to pull away from him, when his hand came up to cup her chin.

“I am so sorry sweetheart, I should’ve thought of that earlier. I can assure you I am clean. I haven’t had sex since my stay in the hospital, and I was fully tested then. Still, I wouldn’t want you to think I didn’t take your safety into consideration.”

Smiling in relief, Abby bent to kiss him, stroking his brow to soothe the worry from it, “I am clean too, and that isn’t what worried me. There is one other tiny little consequence to sex, and I highly doubt at my age that would be an issue, but I wouldn’t want you to think...I mean...” Good lord she was a grown woman in her 40’s, talking about sex and its consequences shouldn’t be this hard.

Marcus seemed to take pity on her struggle, and chuckling, pulled her down to kiss her lips, then cheek, then neck, moving towards her shoulders as his hands stroked her hips, “I know what you are trying to say, and let me make one thing clear. If you want to wear a condom to prevent the slight chance of _that_ happening, then I will go grab one. But, I have to be honest here, I am all in, and if _that_ were to happen I would be over the moon thrilled.”

Abby was sure there was a lot of ways she could answer his declaration in that moment, but the only thing her mind could think to do was lower her body, and guide Marcus’ hardened member where it needed to be. As she sunk down, nearly growling as he filled her, she couldn’t help but smile at the pleased look on the man’s face.

“I take it you would be fine with it too then?” he snarked as he gripped her waist a little tighter, guiding her in a rocking motion.

“Eh,” she said with a shrug, “I already have four, what is one more?”

He laughed, leaning forward to kiss her yet again, and Abby closed her eyes losing herself to the feelings coursing through her body. She was amazed by how much she loved this man after such a short time of knowing him, and how much she just wanted him in every aspect of her life. Even more amazing was that he seemed to want the same things. As they moved together beneath the heated water pouring from the shower head, their lips devouring each other, Abby swore that she was never going to let this man go. He was too special, and only a fool would willingly give up the love and devotion he was so willing to offer.

“I love you,” she moaned as she neared her finish, and a smile graced her lips as she felt his fingers dig into her skin. “I love you more than I can even express.”

“Same here sweetheart, I can’t...God I just love you.”

Then, just like that, they were both toppling over the edge, the bathroom filling with the sounds of their moans and gasps, as they clung even tighter to each other.

When they had finished, and cooled down, Marcus reluctantly nudged Abby to stand, and with her help got to his own feet. They then went to work cleaning themselves up, giggles erupting from both of them as they playfully soaped up the other person, both too exhausted to care that they sounded like a couple of kids. When they were all rinsed off, Marcus turned off the shower, and grabbed a towel from the nearby rack, wrapping it gently around Abby before grabbing his own. By this point they barely had the energy to walk back to the bed, let alone put on clothes, so both just curled up naked under the rumpled sheets.

“You’re going to stay the rest of the night, right?” Marcus asked with a yawn.

Abby looked up at him from her new favorite resting spot on his chest, and smiled mischievously, “Yes, on one condition.”

“What?”

“You have to face the girls with me in the morning.”

His answering groan, and her giggles were the last thing either heard before they drifted back to sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

Growing up, before the death of his mother, Marcus had always pictured his family to be quite extensive. He had been an only child, his father dying before his parents had a chance at a second, and his mother never really found someone else to replace the man she loved. Marcus wouldn’t say his childhood was a bad one, his mom more than made up for some of the things he lacked, but there were moments of loneliness that made him decide he would make sure any child he had would have a sibling...or two...or five.

Then, when Vera had been killed, and Marcus joined up with the DC law enforcement, his goals for a family changed. He learned real fast that his job was risky, and if he succeeded in becoming a detective it would get riskier still. He could not, in good conscious, ask any woman to marry him if there was a chance she would be left a widow. Nor could he risk having kids and leaving them fatherless as he had been. So, with that in mind he decided a family was no longer an option for him. He dated now and again, with a few one night stands thrown in, but he was always careful to never get too attached.

That was why his meeting Abby turned him completely for a loop. Never had he met a woman who could take his breath away upon first sight, fully clothed at that. Not only was she breathtakingly gorgeous, but she was insanely smart, and had the kind, generous qualities he greatly admired. If any of his flings from over the past 25 years had seen him in the here and now they would have been shocked to see the calculating, almost unfeeling detective, falling head over heels in love with a woman in a matter of weeks. There were moments he couldn’t believe it himself, and then he would set eyes on her and be reminded that what was happening was in fact real.

Even more amazing than falling in love and being loved by that woman in return, was that he suddenly found himself with a family. It wasn’t official, but from that very first Saturday after their garden picnic it was made clear that he was more than welcome to be a part of any aspect of Abby’s life he chose to be a part of. At first things were a bit awkward, seeing as Abby wasn’t sure he really understood what being “all in” meant, but when she asked him (in her shy, stammering voice that told him she was worried about his answer) if he wanted to join her and the girls on a trip to the mall, he couldn’t help but accept without hesitation.

So, he spent that first Saturday driving Abby and her brood to Tysons Corner, and walked around with them patiently as they went to almost every one of the hundreds of stores in the place. It was all made worth it when they finally settled into a booth at the mall’s sushi bar and were told by the waiter that they had a beautiful family. He had beamed with pride at the comment and Abby, once she saw he was happy, smiled as well; and from that point on the rest was history.

For the next three months he spent almost every minute he wasn’t at work with Abby and her girls. Every family meal, every outing, anything and everything they did he was invited to participate in. At first he felt nervous that he was encroaching on their special time with their mother, but a few brisk words from Clarke on the matter had his doubts all but disappearing.

“Shut up Kane,” the blonde had exclaimed when he had pulled her aside one Sunday before they left for a movie, to tell her he didn’t have to go, “We haven’t seen mom smile this much in...well ever. Besides it is nice to have you around. So get in the car.”

After that he never questioned things again, assured that if the girls didn’t want him there, they would let him know.

Dinners and outings were not the only aspects of Abby’s life he seemed to be encroaching on. The Monday after their first date, he had walked into her office ready to kiss her good morning, seeing as he had spent the evening alone at his apartment. He found Abby sitting half awake at her desk, and when he asked her if she was okay she had shyly informed him that she had slept miserably the past two nights without him. From that point forward it was decided that he would stay at her house most nights, unless they decided they needed “adult play time” (as Raven dubbed it), and then they would go to his apartment.

They had tried the whole sex thing in the house, a few days into his practically moving in, but just as he was about to slip Abby’s tank top over her head, a sobbing Lexa had burst into the room and interrupted things. Fortunately the girl was too distraught to realize what she had stumbled in on, but unfortunately Marcus had to sit at an odd angle under the covers while she clung to Abby and cried about the fight she had just had with Anya, who he learned was the girl’s on and off again girlfriend.

After the teen had been fully consoled, and sent to her room for the evening, Abby had apologized over and over to him. “They are just so used to coming in here whenever they need to, and she probably didn’t realize it wasn’t safe to do that anymore.”

Marcus kissed her head (having learned this was one of the best ways to soothe her), “For now we will continue to keep this a safe place for them to run to. If we decide we need to get freaky, we will go on a date to my apartment.”

“You really don’t mind not getting _freaky_ here?” she asked, with a half sob, half laugh.

“I don’t. I love you, and I love doing _that_ , but I don’t want to totally uproot everything you created here, and if the girls need to be able to come to you whenever, then I won’t be the reason they can’t.”

Sure enough, the girls did love to come in to Abby’s room on a nightly basis. Sometimes it was all three of the teens asking if they could go to some party or some event; or all four of the girls to see if they could spend the upcoming weekend as a family at six flags, or drive to Hershey Park. Sometimes it was just one girl- Octavia worried about Bellamy, Lexa upset about a phone call with her imprisoned father, Raven mad at something Wick had said during their date, or some other problem that they needed advice on. They would usually find the two adults snuggled next to each other, Abby reading over work related materials, and Marcus flipping through whatever novel had caught his interest that week. It wasn’t long before he was being invited into the conversations, and asked for his advice on some matter or another. Marcus tried his best to reassure Octavia her brother would be fine; he promised Lexa that her father was just in a bad place, and despite what he said he did love his daughter; and he schooled Raven on how to get Wick to be less childish on dates.

Sometimes the bedroom visits were much later, and Marcus would be forced out of the bed so that a kid (usually Clarke) could snuggle up to Abby and be soothed after a bad dream. After the first time this happened (and he found himself sleeping on the sofa downstairs) he went out and bought a cot and set it up in Abby’s closet so he could just stumble in there and sleep when he was ousted from the bed. It wasn’t ideal, but it was a lot better than breaking his neck stumbling down the stairs half asleep. Besides, as he told Abby repeatedly, he refused to invade on the girls’ safe place.

She more than made up for it anyway, when they would sneak away (usually Friday and Saturday nights) and sleep at his apartment. “Sneak away” was a lose term since the girls would usually wave them off with cheeky grins, and while it took a few times to not blush at the idea of them knowing what the they were up to, Marcus soon moved past it. He and Abby would spend many hours in their little haven getting to know each other in ways they couldn’t at the house, exploring one another’s bodies and just embracing the pleasure it brought. While he enjoyed the domestic life up at the house, it was these moments of being completely vulnerable with Abby, and her with him that had Marcus’ heart soaring.

As time moved on he was heartened to see that Abby was no longer prone to nervousness around him. It took a few weeks, but soon she stopped apologizing for little things-like accidently overcooking his meat- and stopped blushing every time he complimented her. As she became more secure in their relationship he found himself dealing with a whole new level of the woman, one that he had seen hints of, but was now fully exposed to.

Abby was passionate. Not just in the bedroom (though she certainly wasn’t lacking passion there), but in every aspect of her life. She lived to utilize Mount Weather to its fullest potential- meaning she used the school to make sure any child, despite economic status, could attend if they were up for the challenging curriculum. He learned that she was also petitioning to get approval to turn the place into a boarding school, so the lower income kids could have a place to stay if their situation made it difficult for them to arrive each day. Apparently the task was easier said than done, but Abby was certain she would be building dorms in the next year or so.

Her passions also extended to her kids, of course, and Marcus’ was finding that watching her with the girls was one of his favorite things. She was loving, nurturing, and kind with them; but she was also tough with them, making sure none of them slacked on their schoolwork, or any of their various activities. She set aside thirty minutes a night after dinner for each kid, so they could go over any homework questions with her; or, if homework was completed, tell her what was going on with lacrosse (Lexa), art classes (Clarke) or martial arts (Octavia). Raven was always last, and they would spend their time discussing the older girl’s plans after she completed her AA and which university she would try to attend. After the first week of watching this nightly routine, Marcus asked to join in, and was met with automatic approval from all five ladies. So he and Abby rotated between the girls, making sure they knew they had undivided attention, and helping them with any problems they might have. This, combined with the nightly bedtime interruptions, led to him bonding with the girls even more.

He still worried from time to time that Abby would take offense to his growing involvement with the girls, but Thanksgiving day changed all that. They woke up, and all plans they had originally went out the window when they discovered both Clarke and Raven had come down with the flu overnight. Abby was supposed to drive Lexa to her once a year visit with her father, while Marcus and the other girls prepared dinner, but it soon became apparent that that was not going to be an option. So that was how Marcus found himself driving a jittery sixteen-year-old two hours to her father’s prison, only to immediately turn around when the jackass refused to see the girl. The two-hour trip back turned into four due to an accident on 495 and the whole time Lexa stared out the window, and Marcus tried to pretend not to notice the occasional sniffle or the wiping of a tear.

He had learned in the past 5 weeks that this particular kid was either very private or very open about her emotions depending on the day, and that it was best to follow her lead. So they sat in silence, with her crying, and him tapping his hands to the music. About three hours in, he had had enough and reached out to awkwardly pet the girl’s hair, “Your dad is an ass, and we aren’t going to bother with him anymore.” Immediately he regretted his words, and her continued silence made him worry the last hour of the trip, so sure was he that she was going to hate him for belittling her dad despite the man’s callous behavior. So when they finally arrived home and got out of the car, he was surprised when the girl hugged him tight, and thanked him for everything.

“Not just today,” she whispered, “but for _everything,_ you complete things.”

He had been honored by such a sentimental statement from this particular kid, and he blinked back tears as she strode away, his eyes landing on a beaming Abby he hadn’t noticed was waiting on the porch.

“I have never seen her so comfortable around a man before,” she announced, striding down the stairs to kiss his cheek in greeting, “I’m impressed.”

Shrugging off the praise, Marcus pulled her close, “I don’t know what I did so don’t give me too much credit.”

“You were there for her, for all of them, you are providing something for them they never had, something I could never give them.”

“Abby-”

“Don’t argue with me Marcus,” she reprimanded, “I have done my best by those girls, but like Lexa said, you completed things. They needed a father figure.”

“Father figure?” He was absolutely stunned by the term. Sure, he had considered these people to be his family for weeks, but to hear Abby confirm it was absolutely mind blowing.

Biting her lip, Abby suddenly appeared unsure for the first time in ages, “I mean no pressure Marcus, if you don’t want to be-”

He cut her off with a kiss, smiling brightly when they broke apart, “What kind of moron would pass up an opportunity to be a father to those kids? I just hope I do the job justice.”

“You already have,” she assured, stroking his cheek, “You got Lexa to hug you.”

And so it continued. They spent the rest of Thanksgiving eating Chinese food with Lexa and Octavia, taking turns running upstairs to check on the bedridden girls who were so doped up on flu medicine they didn’t know they were sleeping through a holiday. And the next morning when Octavia and Abby woke up with similar symptoms, Marcus barred Lexa from going near them, while he took on all nursing duties with a contented smile on his face.

The next few weeks flew by, and Christmas was soon upon them, which meant taking the girls (and most of their friends) to the Ice festival at the Gaylord; to a view various light displays in Manassas, Hershey, and Harrisburg; and spending an amazing night with Abby buying all the kids’ Christmas presents. Never in the past 25 years had Marcus felt so relaxed or at home, and he treasured every moment of it, even when he was being pelted with snow balls on his way in from work. He had a family, one very similar to what he imagined as a child, and that was the best thing he could have ever wished for.

It was this comfort, this relaxation that would play a part in what happened on January 12th. Maybe if he had been a little more alert Marcus would have noticed something was off. Maybe he, or Abby, would have wondered why none of the teachers- mainly Diana- seemed perturbed by their budding romance. Or maybe when Clarke spent a night in December completely withdrawn, they would have pressured her for a better answer than “I have PMS.” Or they would have wondered why Finn never seemed to be around anymore. Maybe if they had thought more about these things, they would have been able to stop what had happened, but they were in a happy place, and neither were looking for trouble.

It was this lack of caution that made it so easy for Jake Griffin to reenter the scene on January 12th, and rip their world apart.


	15. Chapter 15

When Marcus was about ten years old, his mother had preached a sermon about chaos. He still remembered quite vividly sitting in the front row in his Sunday suit, and staring up at Vera with wide eyes as she talked about how evil made use of chaos and confusion to perform its vilest deeds. It was a sermon that stuck with him through most of his life, especially in his work as a detective. It always seemed that whenever there was something crazy happening, it would be followed by more violence, looting, and other chaos. He always would take the wild scenes in, and imagine the devil was sitting somewhere and watching the corruption with a twisted and gleeful smile.

 

When the explosion occurred on January 12th, followed by three gunshots, that image of the accomplished devil flew through his mind once more.

 

It was 11:55am, and Marcus was just packing up before heading to eat lunch with Abby, when a loud noise filled the halls of Mount Weather, and the whole building shook. It took a moment for him to push the ringing from his ears, but when he did, Marcus was able to make out some alarmed shouts, followed by three consecutive bangs. Heart in his throat, he dove for his locked desk drawer and made quick work of getting it open before pulling out his gun and racing out of his office.

 

As he veered down the hall, and around the corner he stopped short at the scene before him. Smoke filled the foyer in billowing waves, and small flames danced amongst the rubble of the once beautiful staircase. Someone had blown it to bits, and all that was left were three or four stairs at the top, and one stubborn piece of bannister that dangled precariously over the floor below. At the top of the stairs, a few teachers’ heads were poking around the massive doors of each wing, eyes wide with fear and astonishment.

 

“Evacuate the children out the back exits and somebody call 911 if it hasn’t been done already!” he shouted, his eyes scanning the rubble for any bodies. Luckily the younger kids had gone upstairs from lunch ten minutes prior, and the older ones weren’t supposed to come down for another ten; so no one had been near the staircase when it blew.

 

Marcus was just blowing out a sigh of relief, when he turned towards the headmaster’s office, and saw a crumpled body on the floor. All at once he remembered the gunshots and he moved towards the person, his veins filled with ice.

 

“Raven,” he gasped as he took in the young girl’s pale body more fully. She was flat on her back as if a bullet had thrown her backwards, and blood was pouring from a wound in her stomach. Cursing Marcus ripped off his over shirt, and tore into two long pieces- one that he wadded up and jammed into the wound, and the other that he tied around it.

 

Below him Raven cried out at the pain his actions might have caused, and Marcus sent up a silent prayer of thanks that she had woken up.

 

“Hey sweetie,” he whispered reassuringly, “I need you to stay still for me okay?” He finished his rushed job, and reached up to stroke some hair out of her face, trying to smile calmly when he found her wide eyes on him.

 

“I need you to try to stay awake until paramedics arrive okay? And try not to move. Can you do that?”

 

Raven nodded her head slowly, tears streaming from her eyes, “It hurts.”

 

“I know it hurts, probably like a son of a bitch, but you just have to stay with us. Can you tell me where the shooter went?”

 

“In there,” she whispered, her head turning towards Abby’s office, “It was Jake. He kept asking for his daughter...”

 

She froze, her eyes going wide and Marcus was about to ask her if she was okay when he felt a cold muzzle pressed into the back of his head.

 

“Get up Kane, and drop your weapon.”

 

“Ridley,” Marcus hissed, recognizing the slimy man’s voice at once, “Why am I not surprised that you are involved in this?”

 

He dropped his gun as told, and watched as his assailant moved to kick it across the foyer where it bounced off one of the many pillars and came to a rest too far away.

 

“I should blow your head off right here detective,” Ridley sneered, pressing the gun to Marcus’ head a little harder, “but unfortunately I have orders.”

 

He used his free hand to grab Marcus’ left arm, twisting it harshly behind his back before pushing him towards Abby’s office. As they moved past her, Marcus looked down at the still conscious Raven, and nodded slightly to her, trying to assure the girl that everything would be okay. He had to believe that. Surely the police would be here shortly, and would put an end to this nightmare.

 

As Ridley pushed open the office door however, Marcus took in the scene before him and it took all of his efforts not to try to fight his captor off. He only refrained because he would be no use to anyone with a bullet in his head.

 

Before him, sitting on the couch and shaking all over sat Clarke. Tears streamed down her face as she hugged herself, and starred wide eyed at Marcus. The fear and anguish in her eyes would be enough to bring any person to their knees, and Marcus had to fight to keep himself stable.

 

Abby sat, straight backed and stoic in a chair across from Clarke, and if it were not for the slight tremor in her jaw, Marcus could almost believe she was completely unaffected by the knife that was being held to her throat.

 

The owner of the knife was a man a few inches shorter that Marcus, with long greasy blonde hair, and crazed blue eyes. He might have been handsome and dashing at one point in his life, but it was obvious that time had not been kind to him. He stood there, smiling manically at Marcus as Ridley shoved him forward and towards the chair beside Abby, the knife in his hand moving to trace along Abby’s cheek.

 

“Well well well,” Jake sneered, “You must be the man trying to take my place.”

 

Marcus didn’t answer, he just took a seat and looked from Abby to Clarke, relieved to see that despite the situation they appeared to be unhurt.

 

“Abby really, he seems kind of dumb to me. He must be really good in the bed if he has kept your interest for, oh what did you say Ridley...three months?”

 

“That’s what I hear boss.” Ridley murmured, handing his gun over to Jake who kept it pressed to Marcus’ temple with one hand, while the other still made the knife dance around Abby’s skin. Having passed over his weapon, Ridley reached for some rope and began tying Marcus wrists and feet together, before moving on to Abby.

 

“The girl is still alive out there,” he reported, as he tugged the ropes tight around Abby’s limbs causing her to wince, “should I put her out of her misery when I am done here?”

 

“No no,” Jake replied, and Marcus watched as he bent to sniff at Abby’s hair, “the little bitch deserves the pain of bleeding out doesn’t she Abigail? She tried to save you, and now she gets to suffer.”

 

“You’re a monster.”

 

Jake froze, his piercing eyes turning to Clarke, who had spoken the words in a sharp hiss.

 

For the first time Abby seemed to fully react to the situation at hand, her face turning sharply towards her daughter, eyes wide with fear, “Clarke don’t-”

 

“Hush Abby,” Jake hissed, tugging at her hair and handing the gun back over to Ridley, “she doesn’t know what she is saying. After all, you have spent the last ten years poisoning the girl against me. Of course she thinks I am a monster. That is why I need to start with her first. Once I have cleansed her mind, she will love her daddy again.”

 

“You’re not my dad,” Clarke barked, her head held high in defiance, and Marcus wasn’t sure whether to be proud of her bravery, or fearful of what it would bring.

“Ohhh, I am your dad Clarke-y, no matter how much you deny it. Half of you is me. So if I am a monster, you are half a monster. But don’t worry, when I am done, you will have a different mindset. I just need to purge you of all that hate.”

 

“Jake please,” Abby whispered, her eyes on the knife in her ex-husbands trembling hand, “Leave her and Marcus alone! Let them go, and I will let you take me anywhere and do whatever you want with me. Just please let them go.”

 

Jake ignored her, moving closer to Clarke, his hand reaching out to cup her chin.

 

“Such a pretty little girl you are, but the problem with pretty little girls is that they become whores. Just look at your mother, spreading her legs for whoever asks her. Don’t worry though Clarke, I am going to fix that for you, make you a little less pretty. I am going to save you from being a whore, and then you will see I am no monster at all.”

 

He was just moving to raise his knife, when Clarke kicked out, hitting him hard in the shin and making him stumble back. Taking advantage of her father’s moment of shock, she shot over the back of the couch and had just ripped the office door open when Jake grabbed her by the hair and threw her to the ground.

 

“Jake!” Abby screamed, as the man straddled the prone girl, “Please stop! Don’t hurt her please!”

 

Marcus called out as well, begging the man to listen to reason, begging him to let the teen go.

 

“You don’t want to do this; she is your daughter. Don’t hurt your daughter!”

 

Jake sneered up at him, his weight pressing Clarke into the carpet, “She is half my daughter, the other half is made up of whore. I need to keep her from being like her mother.”

 

With that, he moved the knife down to Clarke’s cheek, the screams from both Abby and Marcus seeming to egg him on.

 

“Such tender flesh,” he was murmuring, as the knife danced along her cheek, “tender tender-”

 

*Bang*

 

The shot rang through the room, making both Marcus and Abby jump, before they watched Jake go stiff and fall forward, revealing a bullet hole in the back of his head.

 

*Bang*

 

Another shot was followed by a shocked gasp, as Ridley fell to the ground behind the two restrained adults. Eyes wide, Marcus looked towards the open doorway, mouth open in shock as he took in Raven leaning wearily against a pillar, his gun tight in her grip.


	16. Chapter 16

 

Abby can only describe what happened next as being one giant blur. She is vaguely aware of the police barging into the school only seconds after Raven took her shots. She is aware of being untied and rushing to a still prone, and shocked Clarke and wrapping her in her arms, while the trembling child whispered “Oh God” over and over, while Abby assured her it was over.

She is aware of Marcus rushing past them and into the foyer where Raven has been surrounded by paramedics. He listens to them for a moment before turning back to tell her he is riding with the girl to the hospital. Abby almost argued, almost insisted that she needed to be the one to go, but then she remembered she had hundreds of students who needed to be dealt with, board members to calm down, and parents who would need assurance. Sighing she nodded, and watched Marcus rush out after the hurried medical workers.

Lexa and Octavia were called in, and asked to escort a still trembling Clarke to the house; Abby promising the still apologizing girl that she would be with her as quickly as possible. Then it was a wave of teachers descending on her, while parents- who had been immediately notified- through the school’s emergency phone line- poured onto the campus in desperate need to see their children.

Both local police and FBI swarmed the property, taking pictures of the destroyed stairwell, and the gruesome scene within her office. Abby refused to go back into the building when they wanted to question her, more upset by the line of blood from Raven dragging herself to the pillar, then anything else. Instead she stood on the steps, answering anything they wanted to know, while watching as police escorted Ridley out of the building and to a waiting car. She was pleased to see that he had only suffered a minor flesh wound to his shoulder. She hated the man, but if Raven had killed him, they might never know how Jake found their location.

“Abby,” a stern voice called out to her as she was finishing up with the police and heading to the large crowd of parents and children in order to address them. She turned and sighed when she spotted one of the main board members, Thelonious Jaha waving her over.

“Mr. Jaha,” she greeted in a weary voice.

“This is quite a mess Abby; Diana hear was just telling me that the main assailant was your ex-husband? Is this true?”

Just then noticing the smug looking blonde standing beside Jaha, Abby shot her a glare before returning her attention to the subject at hand, “Yes, Jake was my ex. It is a very long story, and I wish not to broach it right now, but I will be happy to let the board grill me as much as they would like at a later date. Right now, I just want to reassure the people over there, and then go to the hospital to be with Raven.”

“So you can find time to come up with a good reason to excuse your endangering this school?” Diana sneered, “Really Jaha, Ms. Reyes isn’t Abby’s main responsibility right now.”   
“That is enough Diana, Abby we will schedule a meeting for two days’ time. I will contact you with the information, and please be prepared to give us a full and honest explanation.”

He eyed her sternly for a moment more, before turning to join his son, Wells, in the crowd. Abby let out a sigh, and without sparing the still hovering Diana another glance, turned to face the large mass of people who stood huddled together in fear.

She isn’t sure exactly what it was she said to them, she was only aware of a thousand apologies streaming from her lips. She probably sounded like Clarke had in those few seconds after they were saved. She was also pretty sure she gave the parents her word that a long, detailed report of the reasons behind the events would be emailed to them by the next day.

As she finished her broken, and exhausted speech she looked up to find a group of uneasy, almost unsatisfied parents staring back. She was just gearing herself up for a round of questions when Indra, fierce woman and Lincoln’s aunt, stepped forward and hugged her close. She then stepped back and shot a look to the crowd.

“One of Abby’s daughters has been rushed to the hospital. All of our kids are alive, and unhurt. Let us be grateful for that. We will get our answers, but it is only fair to let Abby go be with her family at this moment.”

At the kind, but stern words, of the (somewhat scary) woman, the faces in the crowd softened, and Abby let out a sigh of relief. With a smile of thanks to Indra, she headed down the hill to gather up her remaining kids.

~~~

The ride to the hospital was silent, with Lexa holding Clarke tightly to her in the backseat, while Octavia held Abby’s hand in the front. Marcus had texted them right as they were getting ready to leave the house, and let them know that Raven had been rushed to surgery. He felt optimistic that she would pull through.

They arrived at George Washington hospital an hour later, Abby cursing the crazy DC traffic the entire way; and found Marcus seated in a private waiting room, his head buried in his hands. As soon as they entered he looked up, and relief washed over him. Jumping to his feet, he sped towards there group and gathered Abby into his arms, kissing her temple over and over.

“I wanted so badly to see to you earlier,” he whispered, “but-”

“I understand Marcus,” she assured him, her hand stroking his hair, “We had more important things to do.”

He kissed her lips lightly, and then studied her face for a moment, as if memorizing ever detail. After a moment he gave a satisfied nod, and then without letting go, he reached out and pulled the three hovering girls into his embrace.

“I am so glad you are all safe,” he whispered.

They stayed there in their group hug for a few moments before an awkward cough interrupted them.

“Are you the family of Raven Reyes?” the young doctor asked when they all turned to stare at him.  
  
Abby felt like a bucket of ice was thrown on her as she glanced up at the clock, “Yes we are, she can’t be out of surgery yet, can she?”

“No, she is still in her procedure. I have been sent out to tell you that she is stable. The bullet nicked her intestines, but not severely. She did lose a lot of blood, but she has received a transfusion, but...” he hesitated for a moment, eyeing the younger girls, but when Marcus urged him to continue he did, “The bullet might have nicked her spinal cord. It’s hard to tell at this moment, but there is a lot of swelling. She will live, but I just wanted to prepare you for possible complications.”

The ‘she will live’ was all Abby needed to hear, and before she could stop herself she wrapped the young man in her arms, “Thank you doctor, we are so glad to know she is stable.”

“Yes,” Marcus offered from behind her, “we will worry about ‘any complications’ when the time comes; just make sure we can see her again.”

He left, and Abby started to head for a chair to finally sit down, when a broken sob stopped her in her tracks. Clarke had finally broken her silence and was holding herself close, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“This is all my fault,” she whispered, more to herself than anyone else, “this is my fault. I was such an idiot, and now Raven might be paralyzed. This is all my fault.”

Shooting a startled glance to an equally confused Marcus, Abby rushed forward, and gathered the girl close, “Clarke, this is not your fault. There is no way you could have known that Jake-”

“You don’t understand!” Clarke shoved away and began to pace, not making eye contact with anyone. “I told Finn. I told him everything. About dad...about the abuse...about my birthday. I even told him my real last name. I knew I wasn’t supposed to, but he said...and I believed him...and then...”

She began to sob heavily again, and she collapsed into a chair, tugging at her hair. Cautiously, Abby moved forward and knelt before her, taking her hands gently within her own. When she got her daughter to make eye contact, she smiled gently and asked what happened next.

“After that he didn’t speak to me, he avoided me. I just thought he didn’t like what I had told him, I thought maybe I was too dramatic. Then today he came to the house while you were dealing with the crowd. He said he felt so guilty because he told. He said he had to, that he was going to fail his class, and that his parents would kill him if he ruined his chances at getting into Harvard. He said everyone in his family had gone to Harvard, and it was too important for him not to take chances. He said the only way he wouldn’t fail is if he convinced me to tell him about our past, and reported what he found out.”

Abby furrowed her brow, trying to keep up. It just didn’t make sense. Finn had always been one of the top students in his class, it seemed almost ridiculous to think that he would put himself in such a position. With a cold gnawing in her stomach she asked, “Which class?”

“What?”

“Which class was he failing Clarke?”

“Chemistry. He said he had to tell Ms. Sydney, or she would fail him.”

Abby shot a look over her shoulder to Marcus, who immediately stepped out of the room with his phone, before turning back to Clarke. At some point Octavia and Lexa had made their way over, and were sitting nervously on either side of them, their eyes focused on their sobbing sister.

“Clarke, sweetheart,” Abby whispered, her hand stoking her daughter’s hair back, “this is not your fault. You should have been able to tell the boy you loved about your life. I am not upset about that, nor will Raven or anyone else be upset. This is not your fault.”

“But I told...”

“Yes and I told Marcus...and your sisters. Because when you love and trust someone, you shouldn’t think that they would betray you. I am not even that mad at Finn, Diana used his fears to manipulate him. The fault lies with her, your father, and Ridley. Not with you.”

“Really?”

“Yes, and there is no doubt that anyone would disagree with me.”

“Yeah,” Octavia piped up, “How could you have known he would tell? I know Abby is letting him off easy, but when I see Finn again I’m going to punch him in the-”

“Octavia!”

Despite her attempts to reprimand the girl, Abby couldn’t help the smile that bloomed on her face, as Clarke and Lexa laughed quietly. Seeing that things were okay for the time being, she made to stand when Clarke put a hand out to stop her.

“What dad said about me being half him, half a monster?”

“That is categorically untrue!” Abby hissed. “Your dad had issues, he was not well. I assure you, that you have none of those problems.”

Clarke nodded, and then leaned forward flinging her arms around her neck, “Thanks mom.”

“No problem kid.”

Suddenly Octavia and Lexa lunged forward joining in on the hug, and causing them to all teeter to the floor in a pile of limbs. For a moment all fear, and pain was forgotten, and Abby could not help the laugh that escaped her as she held the girls tightly.

“Well, I just spoke to an old friend with the FBI and-” Marcus paused and took in the sight, a small smile forming on his face, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt the dog pile.”

Abby smiled back, though the remembrance of where they were and why sobered her a bit, “You’re fine. What did you find out?”

“Apparently Ridley already cracked and told them about Diana’s involvement. He gave them every bit of detail they wanted to know, in hopes of a plea deal. Unfortunately for him, it doesn’t look like the prosecutors will be giving him one. Which is fine by me, because when asked why he blew the staircase his answer was ‘just for fun.’ Asshole.” He paused to glare off into space for a moment, before shaking off whatever he was thinking to continue, “Anyway, they are on their way to arrest Diana for conspiracy to commit murder.”

Abby gently pulled herself from the huddle, and eased up into a chair, her head tilting back to rest against the wall. She was happy that the people at fault were getting what they deserved, but she still felt so unsettled. All of the events of the day washed over her- the attack itself, Raven’s future, the incoming confrontations with parents and board alike. Just the thought of it all pushed her already exhausted mind over the edge, and she couldn’t help the trembling sob that escaped her.

“Hey.”

Opening her eyes, she tried to form a smile for the man who had sat beside her and was looking on urgently.

“None of that,” he reprimanded, “You are allowed to be upset. All of us are allowed that after today. I just wanted to reassure you it is all going to be okay.”

“Is it?”

He pressed a kiss to her temple, “I’m absolutely sure it will be.”


	17. Chapter 17

18 months later

 

“Ladies and Gentlemen, I promise to make this short and sweet. I just wanted to thank you all for being here on such a momentous occasion. Ever since Octavia Blake came to live in my home, it has been my dream to make this school as accessible to as many children as I could. Not just the elite, but all children who have the brains and will power to stand up to our rigorous program. I have also, for reasons revealed in past months, have strived to make this a safe place for all of our students; a place free of bullying or ridicule. I have longed to make sure that these kids are getting a superior education, without the self-image crippling competitiveness.

 

“The one thing I had not managed to pull off, however, was the end of my dream. Until now. Thanks to the support of our parents, our board, and everyone who works here at Mount Weather, we are able to now call ourselves a boarding school. Students like Octavia, Raven, and Lexa; as well as other kids from across the country who lived too far away to attend, will now be able to reside in one of our two new dorms. It is with great pleasure that I now present the Vera Kane and Thelonious Jaha dormitories.”

 

Marcus let out a loud whoop as Abby smiled gleefully towards the crowd of students, parents, and teachers, while the giant scissors in her hands cut the ribbon away with ease. Then with a grand gesture, she invited the guest to go inside and take a tour of the two new buildings that had been added on to Mount Weather. As the crowd cleared, Marcus approached her and pulled her into a hug.

 

“That was a great speech,” he whispered against the shell of her ear.

 

“I know; I didn’t even stammer once! I think a celebration is in order.”

 

Smiling he trailed his lips down to her cheek, and brushed them across the corner of her mouth, “I think I can find a way to celebrate all right.”

 

“Oh God, will you two stop? I would think after two years together you would be over this make out stage.”

 

Marcus laughed and stepped back from Abby, giving Raven a playful glare, “If that is how you feel, then I guess all my worries when you go out with Wick are for naught. After all _you two_ have been together for three years, so you probably never touch one another.”

 

“That is different,” the young girl chirped, “We are young and full of life. You too are old. You should be sitting around in ugly sweaters, doing jigsaw puzzles.”

 

“Can we sit around naked and do jigsaw puzzles?” Abby asked with feigned innocence.

 

“Ugh, I am done with this, I am going to spend time with my sisters while I still can.”

Marcus, still chuckling, watched her go, proud to see that the new leg brace she designed was holding up nicely. When she had come out of surgery all those months ago, the doctors were sure she was going to be paralyzed; but once the swelling had gone down everyone was relieved to see her spinal cord still intact. There was nerve damage though, and it took the use of her left leg away from her.

 

Raven, being Raven, didn’t stay down long though. She worked tirelessly through her physical therapy and learned how to use a brace and crutch with ease. Still, that wasn’t good enough and she started fiddling with her braces to make them more useful. Her goal was to one day be able to develop something that would allow for full use of the injured limb; but for now Marcus and Abby were happy to see that she could walk without a crutch. They didn’t know how she did it (though she did try to explain) but she had, and her research had even caught the eyes of orthopedic doctors who were willing to try the modifications on other patients. Marcus would have preferred she hadn’t been injured at all, but he was glad to see some silver lining come out of it.

 

He was pulled from his thoughts by a gentle hand on his face, “Where did you go big guy?”

 

“Hm? Oh...I was just thinking about how proud I am of Raven.”

 

Abby smiled, and tucked herself close to his chest, her eyes on the buildings in front of them where people were milling about, “I am too. I am proud of all of them.”

 

Marcus nodded as he watched Clarke and Lexa run by, saying something about going to see if the boy dorm’s game room was better than the girls’.

 

“I can’t believe two of them are leaving us tomorrow.”

 

He and Abby both knew that the time would come when the kids would go to college, but nothing had really prepared them for the sadness they felt when the date finally approached. The only solace was knowing that Clarke and Lexa would be together at Columbia, and that they were only a train ride away.

 

“I think I have finally come to terms with it,” Abby sighed as she waved at a passing parent, “for the most part.”

 

“You say that now, but you will be balling when they pull away tomorrow.”

 

“Like you won’t be?”

 

Marcus laughed and ducked his head to hide his blush, “Well, yeah, probably. I am just not ready to have an empty nest yet.”

 

It was Abby’s turn to laugh, though hers was more incredulous, “Oh, I have a feeling Raven will be with us until Wick decides to marry her, and we have another year with Octavia before she does whatever it is she will do. And have you forgotten about Maggie?”

 

As if on cue Octavia waltzed out the door, the youngest of what had been termed the ‘Kane clan’ since their wedding last February, balanced on her hip.

 

It was almost a month after the attack on the school that Clarke turned to the two adults in her life and announced that they should get married. Apparently it had been a big discussion point amongst the girls, and they were sick of waiting. Marcus responded to this with “I am too” and revealed a ring he had purchased within weeks of dating Abby. This little announcement session was followed by a trip to the courthouse, where they were married as quickly as possible.

 

Still, even with the girls’ support of their nuptials, Abby was worried to death a month later when she realized she was expecting. So much had happened in the past few months, most of it traumatic, and all of them were in therapy dealing with the fall out, and she feared that another big change would be too much for the girls to handle. Thankfully, she had nothing to worry about, as the announcement that there was another sibling on the way added some levity to everybody’s life.

 

The following months were followed by endless planning, nursery decorating, and (once they found out it was a girl) clothes shopping. All of which helped to ease tensions when therapy, injuries, and news of Diana and Ridley’s trials came to be too much. Their little late in life baby had become the exact remedy the family needed in those trying times.

 

So it was into this happy and healing home, that Margaret Anne Kane was born, made even more special by her arrival on Christmas day.

 

“This is going to be one spoiled girl,” the doctor had observed as he watched the four older girls dance around in joy at the sight of their newly born sister in Abby’s arms, while Marcus stood by beaming with pride.

 

And spoiled she was. Maggie was constantly being passed from one member of the family to another, never left on her own for longer than three minutes during waking hours. She snuggled with Abby while she worked, was “kidnapped” during lunch to be toted around the cafeteria by her sisters, and was rocked to sleep every night by her father. She had quickly become Mount Weather’s mascot, her name constantly being screamed by students as she passed, and the girl didn’t know a stranger because of it.

 

“How could I forget Maggie?” Marcus asked as Octavia moved closer, his hands automatically reaching out to pull the infant into his arms. “You will never leave daddy and mommy will you? Not like your big bad sisters.”

 

Octavia rolled her eyes, “Are y’all still upset about them leaving. _I’m_ still going to be here.”

 

Abby pulled her into a hug, “That is right, and I am going to take you shopping to celebrate it. You and Raven and Maggie. The other two will just have to suffer.”

 

“Yeah, we will go ahead and pretend that their car isn’t going to be filled to the brim with new clothes and dorm stuff tomorrow,” Octavia snickered, snuggling into Abby’s embrace.

 

They stood around for another thirty minutes waving goodbye as the event guests headed home; until finally it was just their family standing in the court yard between the school and the dorms. Marcus moved close to Abby and rested his arm around her shoulders as he thought back to that day two years ago when he first met her. Never would he have imagined the life he was walking into, and never would he change a thing about what his world had become.

 

He said as much and was met with peals of laughter from the brood. Even Maggie, who just liked to copy at this point, let out a giggle.

 

“That was so cheesy Marky-mark,” Raven hollered, turning to head for the house.

 

Abby watched in amusement as Clarke snatched Maggie away from him, murmuring something about corny dad moments while following her sisters down the hill.

 

“You brought that on yourself, you know?” she whispered as she wrapped her hand around his arm.

 

“I know, I know.”


End file.
